Weybridge father to run London marathon four times in one go in memory of dad

Alex Muir, 47, who works as a business consultant, will aim to cover 104 miles in just 25 hours to mark 15 years since his beloved father Malcom Muir died.

“Dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in his 30s,” he explains. “It progressed quickly, and he was only 53 when he died. I can still remember the shock of him being diagnosed. He was an amazing Dad and all-round top guy. I still miss him every day.”

MS is a life-long, incurable disease of the central nervous system. The immune system mistakenly attacks the covers of the body’s nerves, and this can cause a range of debilitating symptoms, including cognitive issues, fatigue, mobility problems, bladder and bowel issues, and pain. Alex is taking on his mammoth challenge to raise money for the charity MS-UK, who support people with MS to live healthier, happier lives.

This isn’t Alex’s first ultra marathon – he ran his first 100-mile race three years ago. But his fitness now is a world away from a decade ago when he received a sharp warning from his doctor, who told him he was ‘a walking heart attack’. “I used to be an executive at a FTSE Top 10 company, extremely stressed and unhealthy, massively overweight, and my doctor’s warning made me turn my life around,” he says.

Alex began running and lost around 5 stone in weight. Fast forward in time, and last year saw Alex run 240 miles across Arizona. “I’ve never been very good at balance!” he says. “Ater that race, I couldn’t even get into the shower or onto the toilet because my quad muscles were ruined,” he says. “My two daughters found it hilarious!”

Alex lives with his wife Debs and daughters Annabel, 15, and Katie, 11. He acknowledges the effort it takes to balance his hobby with family life. “I try to do my training during the week, so come Saturday my wife can have some time to herself and I’m with the kids, at the side of the hockey pitch as they play.”

Alex’s next challenge will take place on Sunday, April 27 and will see him run the entire course of the London marathon from the finish line to the start and back four times without stopping.

He will start around 4pm on Saturday, the day before the main race, and run through the night, finally joining the main marathon runners at the start of their big race, which will be the final leg of his. “It will be challenging in places because I’ll be running alone through Bermondsey at 2am, so it’s very different to a trail run.”

But the mental challenge of extreme running is the best part. “I do it for mental health as much as physical,” he explains. “Being out in nature is incredible – I run six days out of seven a week and train on the North Downs. On a really long race, you hit barriers and it becomes a completely mental one that you have to break through. You really find out a lot about yourself at mile 85, and I’m grateful to be able to do it because not everyone has the privilege to get to that point in terms of body and mind.”

Alex’s fundraising page is https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/alex-muir-4-london-marathons-24hrs