British Olympic legend Sir Jason Kenny added another medal to his collection on Sunday, as he completed the London Marathon.
The 37-year-old, Britain’s most successful ever Olympian, made his marathon running debut in the race, having built a career on 750m-long track sprinting events. He finished the 42.2km (26.2 miles) with a time of 3:43:19, comfortably under the four-hour mark considered to be strong.
Speaking to the BBC after the finish line, Kenny described the race as “the best worst day I’ve ever had”.
“It was absolutely amazing running with all these amazing people. Lots of them are running for things that are really special to them,” he said. “In the last couple of kilometres, my legs fell off, and there were bodies everywhere basically. It was just amazing.”
Kenny, who retired from his professional career in 2022, was running in support of his former Team GB team-mate Sir Chris Hoy, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer last year.
“Everyone was pushing each other through it, and the crowds are here. Obviously, I’m running for my mate Chris, and supporting his fundraising as well with the Tour de 4. All the emotion in the last few kilometres bubbled up,” Kenny said, adding with a smile: “It was absolutely brutal and amazing. The best worst day I’ve ever had.”
The former Olympic champion’s wife, Dame Laura Kenny, had initially planned to run the marathon as well, but is currently pregnant with the couple’s third child. “Not bad for a (ex) sprinter,” she wrote of her husband on Instagram afterwards.
Among more than 56,000 people who took part in the London Marathon, Kenny was joined by another former Team GB cyclist: double Olympic silver medallist Becky James. Now Becky North, the former track sprinter finished with a chip time of 4:28:04.
“What an incredible experience and insane crowd cheering the whole way round,” North wrote on Instagram afterwards.
Like Kenny, the 33-year-old also ran in support of Hoy’s Tour de 4 initiative, which is looking to raise £1 million for five different UK cancer charities.
Donations to the Tour de 4 can be made via its GoFundMe page. The charity will continue to raise funds throughout the year, with a charity cycle planned for 7 September.
