Willenhall man clocks up well over 450 half marathons in a single year, plus a 1st place in a virtual Africa Ultra run.

Express & Star

We meet a Willenhall man that has turned his life around with running. It's given him a focus that has turned him into a record breaker.

Transcript

00:00So we're here in Willanall and we're here with our well-known runner to the area, Edward Molling.

00:06Hello Edward. Hello, you alright? I'm alright, thank you buddy. So we featured you a little

00:10while ago when you were doing an epic challenge but that was a bit ago and

00:14I mean what you've been doing since is just crazy. Just fill us in on what you're holding.

00:20What is this? This is a half marathon record and I've run 465 half marathons in one year.

00:26465 half marathons in one year. That's just insane. I mean, a half marathon is how many miles?

00:36Just remind us. Yeah, 13 point way. Cool. So, I mean, I'm not going to do the maths but that's a lot of miles.

00:42So, 465, that's more days than there is in a year and some days you were doing how many half marathons in a day?

00:49I was doing three a day, two a day and then I did all back to back until January 1st.

00:55Yeah. And then I started up in it when I did the race across Africa 2000.

00:59Yeah. And that was for the GB Autres.

01:01Yeah. And some days I was doing 39 miles one day.

01:04Marathon distance of two half marathons on a Tuesday, back to 39 miles.

01:09So one day I did six back to back half marathons.

01:12Six back to back half marathons in a day? In a day, yeah.

01:15Wow, I don't know. And you've done it pretty much unscathed of injury, haven't you?

01:19Yeah. No injury at all. Yeah, yeah.

01:21It feels even better, like more adapted, more adjusted.

01:23Yeah, yeah. And so you mentioned the Africa GB Ultra.

01:27Yeah. So, that's one, it's like a virtual race isn't it that one?

01:31Yeah, it is virtual. So how many miles?

01:342,000. So 2,000 miles and it's what, the first person to complete it basically.

01:39Yeah. And what position did you come in that?

01:41First place, I won this one.

01:43First place? First place. I've run 590 miles ahead.

01:46There's a lot of auto runners and it's the first one to get there.

01:49And that's when I started up in the volume.

01:51It's more test on volume than speed.

01:53Yeah, yeah. So the person who gets there first.

01:55Yeah. Then complete it. Yeah.

01:57That's awesome. Awesome.

01:59And you've even got, you're setting your sights on new challenges.

02:02What is it you want to do next?

02:03I'm doing the banister track. It was a Roger banister.

02:06Yeah.

02:07They've moved it a bit more further away on a different track.

02:09So I'm going to try and come back again.

02:11Yeah.

02:12I did it last time after operation but my body was ready.

02:14Yeah, yeah.

02:15Now I'm going to come back and try and run 100 miles again.

02:17So that's my next challenge.

02:18So you'll have to, to get the record, what will you have to do?

02:21100 miles in what? In one off run?

02:24Yeah, one off run, yeah.

02:25No way.

02:26So the record, there's a record, 505 laps on that track.

02:28Yeah.

02:29So we've completed the record.

02:30So someone's set it as 505 Russell Brack.

02:32Yeah.

02:33So that's my next challenge.

02:34I'm coming back for redemption because I only got to 90 miles last time.

02:36Yeah, yeah.

02:37So I want to see if I can break past the 100 mile.

02:39Just the 90 miles, I mean, you know, to jog them one mile for a lot of people would be,

02:44you know, quite a challenge.

02:46So when do you think you're going to be going for that then?

02:49Yeah, June of the 26th, that one.

02:51Yeah, okay.

02:52So it'll be over for two days straight.

02:53So it's like you're going around for 24 hours and you're back around one way.

02:56Yeah.

02:57You've got like an aid station for every 400 metres.

02:59Yeah.

03:00Yeah.

03:01So what is it you get from running then?

03:03So does it help you kind of with your mental health and obviously it keeps you fit.

03:08But what is it you get from it?

03:09What got you into it?

03:10I think more people should do it.

03:11Yeah.

03:12Because if you set your purpose up, you've got more desire to do something.

03:15Yeah.

03:16You are a drifter.

03:17You are drifting through life.

03:18Yeah.

03:19Not only doing your work.

03:20Just having something.

03:21I've been living for a purpose.

03:22Yeah.

03:23Because when we become drifters, we've got all the negative force roaming in our head.

03:26Yeah, yeah.

03:27We've got nothing to do.

03:28We've got nothing to live for.

03:29Yeah.

03:30So you keep setting it up.

03:31And you get rid of all anxiety or depression if you can train more.

03:33Also, I'm a personal trainer as well now.

03:35Oh, yeah.

03:36JD.

03:37Oh, wow.

03:38The West Brom one.

03:39Okay, yeah.

03:40Somebody wants to PT and I can help him out as well.

03:42So what's at JD Gym in West Brom?

03:44Yeah.

03:45Yeah, because I think we touched upon it last time.

03:47So when did you get into your running?

03:48How long ago?

03:49I've been on and off when I was 16.

03:52Yeah, yeah.

03:53So I've been like a full runner.

03:54But since lockdown kicked in, I started taking it serious.

03:58Yeah.

03:59Well, I started up in everything really high, like the running and the cycling.

04:02Yeah.

04:03And am I right in thinking, before you kind of brought running into your life, you were getting

04:07down and, you know, you were suffering with depression and stuff, weren't you?

04:10Yeah.

04:11So running has just turned your world around, hasn't it, really?

04:14Yeah, yeah.

04:15I was dealing with Ernia.

04:16Yeah.

04:17So I popped my Ernia at the first time I did the last world record.

04:19Yeah.

04:20So I turned away from overtraining.

04:21Yeah.

04:22I was boxing, I was doing flips, acrobatics.

04:24So I couldn't do that anymore.

04:25I was limited.

04:26Yeah.

04:27Then I started taking on that challenge.

04:28Yeah.

04:29And I still did the entire challenge and I had an operation right after I finished the challenge.

04:33Yeah.

04:34And I let my body recover.

04:35Yeah.

04:36And I had four months to recover.

04:37Yeah.

04:38And then I come to the banister track and that's when I smashed 90 miles and come back stronger.

04:41Awesome work.

04:42Yeah.

04:43Awesome work, mate.

04:44Well, we wish you all the best and I'm sure we'll be hearing off you again with future achievements and records.

04:50And well done, Edward.

04:51It's a fantastic achievement.

04:52Just to repeat again, guys, 465 half marathons in one year.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended