ONE of the toughest long-distance runners in the world has welcomed the return of the full Robin Hood Marathon.
Steve Edwards, 50, is known as the "godfather of marathon runners" and has been all over the world pursuing his sport.
Last year he became the first person in the world to run 500 marathons, all inside three hours 30 minutes, earning him the world record for running 500 marathons in the fastest average time.
Steve has run the Robin Hood Marathon 17 times since the 1980s, and said: "It's one of those longstanding marathons that everybody on the running circuit is aware of, and you expect it to be on the calendar forever.
"When we heard it was cancelled last year, with just the half-marathon being run, it was a bit shocking.
"But the organisers have put the full event back on again this year and I've got it on my calendar straight away."
Steve was full of praise for the race, saying: "It's got loads of participants, there's a great atmosphere, and you just want to be a part of it really.
"It's quite central, a great course, and you've got the opportunity to see the history of Nottingham and the landmarks, and it's always well supported by the public."
Now, Steve wants to make it to the record for 600 marathons in the fastest average time, and with just a few races to go, he wants to complete that goal this year.
He said: "I just made the decision that I was never going to break any records for running the fastest marathon, so I would see if I could be the fastest extreme marathon runner in the world."
Steve's first marathon was the first Coventry Marathon in 1988.
He said: "I was 18 years old in the running boom of the early 80s.
"I trained for about five weeks, knew nothing about marathon running or what was involved, and I got to 15 miles and thought 'I don't know what all the fuss is about, this is a piece of cake', and about a mile later I realised what a marathon was all about and what the wall was.
"I felt like I had conquered the world after finishing it, but the next day when I couldn't move I thought 'I'm never going to run a marathon again'."
Steve, from Gloucestershire, balances his work life, his home life and his running, and even got his wife Teresa into the sport.
He has run over 600 marathons in countries all over the world.
His records include the fastest ten marathons in ten consecutive days, and he has run a marathon every 15 days for the last 24 years.
"Don't ever think you can't achieve something," he said. "Keep persevering, keep chipping away and you will get there.
"Marathons are a great way to see places, and you carry those experiences with you for the rest of your life."
