However, Richard Whitehead MBE has set his ambitions that bit higher.
The Nottinghamshire-based Paralympic champion is on target to complete his hundredth marathon this year, following a brutal running schedule that has taken the 48-year-old to all corners of the globe.
Whitehead – who has two prosthetics after being born without the lower part of his legs – has spent time in Loughborough University’s sport science labs at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. The data gathered will guide and inform as he faces the challenge head-on.
“Up to now, I’ve run 80+ marathons all over the world…this year I want to complete my hundredth,” Whitehead told Loughborough Sport.
“That means I have to run 20 marathons in less than a year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and showcase disability sport.”
Speaking about his visit to Loughborough, Richard said: “Data is really important for any athlete. It’s about how you and your team utilise that data. That’s why I’m here.
“Loughborough has supported me in the past and given me the confidence in marathon running and track athletics and I think it’s really important that I’ve come here to showcase performance sport and show that anything is possible.”
Loughborough University’s Professor Vicky Tolfrey added: “The data is very important to look at progress and where he can get those marginal gains. He is looking to maintain his performance and ultimately this will help with his training.
“What’s great in the para sport world is that athletes want to give back. Richard has come for physiological testing but at the same time this is a learning exposure for our students. That’s at the heart of what we’re doing here.”
Richard will run in this weekend’s London Marathon (number 89) and, all being well, will complete his challenge in New York in November 2025.
You can follow his journey through his personal website here: richardwhiteheadmbe.com
For more information about the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, visit: www.lboro.ac.uk/research/phc/
