Howzat? George prepares to run marathon No 60
George Salmond is preparing to run his sixtieth marathon in London on 26 April, but even by the former Scotland cricket captain’s standards this one will represent an exceptional effort.
George explained: “Ten days before Christmas I broke my arm slipping on leaves and had surgery two days later.
“I was out of running for a fortnight and when I returned my arm action looked bizarre.”
If that sounds painful it might be nothing compared to this ex top flight football referee’s training regime.
Resident in North Berwick and head of Junior School at George Watson’s College, Morningside, since 2016 George said: “i’m normally out of the house by about 5.20am and when I reach Edinburgh I’ll do my training run around Arthur Seat or the Meadows.
“My sadistic pleasure is to see the sun coming up over Edinburgh!
“That apart running early is not only a good way of preparing for the day ahead but I’ve found it is best for family life not to go training in evenings.”
For George a marathon predilection started back in 1996 when some footballing balls in his native Arbroath persuaded him to run for the charity Childline, a feat he accomplished in 4 hours 5 mins.
Nowadays the main beneficiary of his efforts are the Lord’s Taverners who assist the disabled and under represented communities and the link stems back to leading Scotland into the 1999 cricket world cup.
Recalls George: “There was a meeting of captains and manager’s called for the Lord’s ground and while we were there a table cricket competition was going on for disabled kids organised by the Taverners.
“Disabled kids were taking it very seriously – removing caps for bowling etc – and the whole thing was very moving.
“So, when I heard the Taverners had spaces allocated to them for fund raising marathons I threw my lot in with them.”
By a nice piece of symmetry the Taverner’s president is a former England cricket captain – David Gower.
To date George estimates he has raised between £40-50 k for various charities and this 56-year-old expects to clock around 3hrs 15mins in London.
Such a projection compares with his best ever marathon time.
“That was back in 2006 when I ducked under three hours.
“For a lot of us marathon runners getting under three hours is a Holy Grail.”
To contribute to George’s 60th marathon run in aid of the Lord’s Taverners and help him achieve a £3000 target go to