April was something else. From landmark milestones on the shores of Lake Garda to debut marathon magic and hard-fought performances on the streets of London, this was the biggest month of the year so far. Here is the full round-up.
Jessie Benson – Lake Garda Marathon | April 2026
Where do you even begin with this one. Jessie ticked off her 50th marathon at the stunning Lake Garda Marathon – and if the milestone itself was not enough, she did it running alongside her husband Dustin, who was completing his own 50th marathon on the very same day.
Jessie cruised around in just a few seconds over four hours with one of the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable, and one look at those race photos tells you everything you need to know about what this one meant. With more marathons already pencilled in for later in the year, something tells me Jessie is just getting started. Here is to the next 50.
Bruno Papadacci – Paris Marathon | April 2026
A home city marathon for Bruno at the Paris Marathon – and a solid sub-3 hour finish to show for it.
In the interest of honesty: there is more in the tank. A temperamental knee in the final weeks of preparation threw a few spanners in the works, but that is the nature of pushing hard and chasing big goals. Bruno dug in, got the job done, and a sub-3 on the board by mid-April is a very solid foundation to build the rest of the year on. A post-race debrief is already underway – but the big picture looks good. More to come from this one.
Julia Kelk – Highgate Open Meeting / Middlesex Championships, Parliament Hill | April 2026
Midweek track action at the Highgate Open Meeting and Middlesex Championships at Parliament Hill – and a really mature, impressive performance from Julia in the 5000m.
The conditions were brutal – a strong, freezing wind that made this a real battle from the start. The plan was smart: sit in, use the group for shelter, and stay patient. Julia executed it perfectly. Two miles in, the group began to fade. Julia did not. A brilliant solo push through the final mile saw her cross the line in 19:29 – 7th overall and 2nd in the F45 category. A fantastic result and a really controlled, confident piece of racing. Very proud of how she handled those conditions.
Emily Martyn – London Marathon | April 2026
What a debut marathon from Emily at the London Marathon.
Running 3:34:30 with a massive negative split – 1:50:06 through the half, then closing out with 1:44:24 – that kind of finish takes real discipline and composure, and Emily absolutely nailed it. What makes this performance even more special is the context. Three weeks out from race day, Emily was barely running due to a painful foot issue that just would not shift. We pivoted to cross-training, stayed positive about making the start line, and trusted the process.
And mile 22? The photos say it all – Emily was absolutely buzzing off the Mornington Chasers cheer squad support. A performance so well deserved. Cannot wait to see what comes next.
Rebecca Taylor – London Marathon | April 2026
I am not sure where to start with this one.
3:10:03 and a massive 6 minute 11 second PB for Rebecca at the London Marathon, finishing 19th in her age category. Just an incredible run.
This result means so much given everything that went into getting here. A disrupted January meant nearly three weeks of no running, leaving us with a shorter build than we would normally want. We made some structural tweaks, stayed patient, and by the end of the block Rebecca was putting in some genuinely impressive sessions – the kind that make you think a big day is coming. Race day was slightly warmer than ideal, but none of that mattered. Rebecca executed brilliantly, and a PB like that does not happen by accident. It is a direct reflection of the dedication and effort she brings to every single session.
19th in her age category at the London Marathon. Just let that sink in.
Sarah Borland – London Marathon – 4:01:31 | April 2026
Not every performance can be measured purely in finish times – and Sarah’s is a perfect example of that.
Having come back from a bone stress injury last year, Sarah and I started working together in late January with London as the goal from the outset. We began cautiously, building week by week, adding volume while continuing to strength train and carefully managing load and recovery to avoid any recurrence of the injury. Everything was tracking in the right direction heading into race day.
Race day itself proved a real challenge – a later start time close to 10am meant running through the midday sun for the most difficult part of the marathon. Despite feeling out of sorts from early on, there was real resilience and character shown, rallying strongly for the final 15km and finishing well. We fell short of the goal time – but a complete training block with no injury concerns, and real grit shown when the conditions made everything harder than hoped. Plenty of positives to take away, and plenty more races to look forward to later in the year.
Tim Farrell – London Marathon – 4:09:59 | April 2026
Tim and I have been working together on and off for a few years now, and this latest journey has been built around one clear priority: staying healthy.
With a history of bone stress injuries, we took a deliberately different approach on the road to London. Back in early January, Tim was running just three days a week, totalling under two hours – well short of typical marathon preparation. But that was entirely intentional. We gradually built volume from there, using cross-training – particularly the elliptical – for higher intensity work, which allowed us to develop fitness while keeping overall load carefully managed. Week by week, the consistency paid off, and we arrived at race day in a strong position.
Race day itself was tough. The direct sun from early on meant long stretches in the midday heat, and from early in the race things felt off. But Tim dug in, stayed resilient, and delivered a seriously gutsy performance. We did not hit the goal time – but the real wins here are significant: a full training block completed, no flare-ups of previous injuries, and Tim back running already with no lasting issues. That is a huge success, and it sets things up brilliantly for what comes next.
David Kohn – London Marathon – 3:51:43 | April 2026
Huge congratulations to David on completing the London Marathon in 3:51:43.
After a superb block of training, we came into race day confident and well prepared. Having struggled with the heat in 2025, cooler conditions in 2026 were high on the wish list – but instead came another warm day with direct sunlight from the start.
The physiological challenge with warmer marathon conditions is well documented: glycogen use increases while carbohydrate oxidation drops, making fuel balance significantly harder to maintain compared to cooler weather. Even with a solid fuelling strategy in place, there is only so much the body can give once fuel availability starts to fall. It made for a tough second half for David – but there are still plenty of positives to take from the day. He finished slightly quicker than last year, put in another incredible fundraising effort for Maggie’s, and we have already identified clear areas to work on ahead of the next goal. A more detailed debrief is to follow, and the exciting part is that there is still more to come. Now we just need a cool late-autumn race day.
Train With a London Running Coach in 2026
April showed just what is possible when structure, resilience, and belief come together – whether that is a six-minute marathon PB, a debut negative split, or simply making it to the start line after a difficult build. Every athlete’s journey is different, and that is exactly why the coaching approach is always individual.
Whether you are chasing a PB, getting back into running after injury, or training for your first marathon – as a London running coach with an MSc in Performance Coaching, I combine sports science, structured training, and personalised support to help runners at every level reach their potential.
Get in touch via the contact page – let us talk about what we can build together.