RICHARD HAYES

ME.

I'm a 38 year old road running currently fighting Prostrate Cancer, plus I am recovering from a heart attack back in August 2020. I served in the Royal Navy as a submariner and a very proud ex-matelot. by 2011 my weight had ballooned to 22st. My 3 year old daughter said I looked like Santa without the beard. I then took up running by September 2012 I had lost 4st and did my first 10K in a slow 57:54 I now only weigh 12st. I then did a charity challenge in 2013 where I did 13 x 10KM road races for the NSPCC with aim to set a personal best. I achieved this and raised several thousand pound for the charity.

Then in 2014 I went one better and did 13 x HM for same charity. I had doubled the amount I raised. That Christmas the charity used my childhood abuse story for their childline campaign. The campaign when viral and raised over £1.3 million for the charity.

I did my first marathon in April 2015 at London but then took on another charity challenge this time for the Sheffield Childrens Hospital racing 33 times in 23 weeks. During this time I won my first race, I then focused on getting faster and winning more races and have since 2015 won 22 races and masters gold medals. Past few years have been tough, my daughter in 2018 suffered a stroke aged 9 and then we found out she had been born with a heart condition, She was seriously ill for 18 months until she had her heart operation last November. She has made a full recovery and doing really well. I managed to tear one of my quad muscles last June that put me out till Jan of this year. I then start rebuilding only to get shock of my life when I was diagonsed with T2 prostrate cancer. Right now besides having to pee for England several times a night its ok and not doing anything. There is a plan of action in place should things change. I was then getting back to my best when out of the blue I had a heart attack in August. The cardiologists thing I had fat lump left over from when I was a big lad and it had caused the blockage. They said due to how big my heart is and how fit I am in meant I survived. Doing ok and on the road to a full recovery.

Social media I am on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as richhayesrunner. Let me know where best to sent you some photos.

There is more about me on my blog:

https://richhayesrunner.co.uk/about-me

WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE?

I want to stay fit and beat cancer but also continue to get faster. I want to run 100 marathons while I can. I still have dreams of competing in ultras and long distance events. I've always want to do some Endurance challenges like LEJOG. Plus would love to run in places I visited while was in the Navy such as the Falkland Islands. Main thing is I want to show people, that what happens in your life does not have to be an excuse but can be used to push you further.

WHAT CHANGES AM I MAKING?

Well my coach and I are using rest of 2020 to get mileage back up then once COVID allows to get back racing. My goals are still to run a fast marathon time and reclaim my medals. Main thing is I am having to adapt my running to make sure my heart does not relapse and with one eye on my cancer, regular blue tests and biopsies means we are one step ahead of it at the moment.

MY PLAN FOR 2020 AND BEYOND.

At moment it depends on COVID but will race a road marathon in 2021 but first challenge I am looking at is a 6 hour event in March 2021 with aim to run the full 6 hours. Then it be a case of getting my track speed back and tackling some masters championship medals in the summer.

MY PERSONAL PROMISE.

To always be the best version I can be and to show people that setbacks are not an excuse to quit. My mantra is every setback is just the start of another comeback.