LLOYD MARTIN, MARATHON RECORD HOPEFUL

Here for the long run?

A teenager with Down syndrome is set to feature in next year’s Guinness World Records book if all goes well in his attempt to complete the London Marathon this weekend. Nineteen-year-old Lloyd Martin, from Cardiff, would be the youngest person to complete a marathon in the intellectual impairment category. A regular at his local park run and a keen gymnast who last year competed in every event at the British Gymnastics artistic disability championships, Lloyd is no stranger to discipline.

How has the training gone? Mother-son bonding was taken to new lengths by Lloyd and his mother, Ceri, when she designed and implemented his bespoke marathon training regime, in which the teenager went from having completed a longest distance of five kilometres in December to being set for the 26.2-mile event.

Expert advice was available in-house – and Ceri is used to a tough training programme.

The 54-year-old has run the London Marathon four times as well as the Boston and Chicago races, and has represented Wales in crosscountry since she was a teenager.

Just keep running...

Lloyd has some motivation for those watching on the sidelines.

“Anything is possible and not just for those with Down syndrome, literally anyone can run a marathon,” the teenager told the BBC.

Like many babies with the syndrome, Lloyd was born with a hole in his heart, and had to go through health checks before embarking on the demanding training programme required.

For the teenager, completing a marathon is all about sticking with it and proving to yourself what you are capable of. “It’s not about the time. It’s about having fun with my family and staying together,” he said.

“If I get tired or sore, I’ll just keep going or I’ll probably take a break for a few minutes, then rethink and then get running again.”

Kimberley Mannion