Marathon Effort

Nothing keeps Dale Lyons from the London Marathon – ever

Dale Lyons has run every London Marathon and he’s not done yet

DALE LYONS is one of just 11 men – The Ever Presents – who have completed every London Marathon. The 2017 race marked his 37th London and his 100th marathon overall. Dale, 80, completed the course using a crutch, following an ankle replacement, but still finished in 6:23:06 – ‘half an hour faster than last year’. It’s not the first time he has toed the start line with some kind of implement….

1983

Set a Guinness World Record (3:09) by running the race dressed as a chef and tossing a pancake.

1987

Did ‘the double’ (two London Marathons) – 8:59 for the 52.4 miles.

1991

Ran the race holding an egg and spoon.

1993

Because of a broken leg Dale used crutches in the race – but he finished.

1995

Established the threelegged marathon world record, in 3:58:33, with Dave Pettifer.

1998

At 61, Dale completed the first and only ‘triple’ London, in 17:12, with his arm in a sling due to a broken wrist. Guinness rejected it as ‘too slow’.

2005

He ‘flew’ the marathon dressed as a bustard, to help a campaign to bring the bird back to Britain (it was hunted to extinction nearly 200 years ago). ‘The head and wings slowed me to a 5:12:46 pace, but bustards benefited by over £1,000.’

2006

Dale ran in support of Age Concern. ‘I had a Zimmer frame as my prop, but the rules said its wheels weren’t permitted, so I had to carry it.’

2010

‘After a knee replacement, I tottered through on crutches in 6:40:53 to remain an Ever Present. There were just 21 of us left of the original 42.’

2014

An ankle replacement followed the new knee in 2014. ‘According to the surgeon the new ankle was not designed to do 26.2 miles, but it did, and it has now done three more London Marathons, albeit crutch-aided.’

2015

Dale did the 35th London on wheels (the event gave him one of 15 standard wheelchair ballot places). ‘4:36:16: my fastest London for 10 years!’

2017

Dale’s 100th marathon. ‘Is it time to quit? My partner, daughters (Iona and Kyla, above) and surgeons think so. But if common sense prevailed I doubt there would be any Ever Presents left by now.’