I ran the London Marathon 45 times but now it is time to rest

Veteran runner Mac Speake had always known the day would come when he would need to quit, but that did not make it any easier.

One week ago, the 84-year-old lined up at the start of the London Marathon as the eldest of six men in a very special club.

The so-called Ever Presents have taken part in the famous event every year since it started in 1981.

"It's been a huge part of my life," he says, speaking from his home in Kettlebaston, Suffolk. "Nobody else can ever join the club and none of us have ever wanted to leave it."

The last few of his 45 London Marathons have been tough for Mac and he started to worry about the impact it was having on his family.

Last year, the retired GP's wife Ros and their daughter had to almost carry him across the finish line.

He finished in nine hours and 14 minutes, half-an-hour quicker than the previous year - a race Mac went into with a bad back and which he describes as "catastrophic".

It was a far cry from his glory days of finishing in less than three hours, but it still meant a lot to take part, he says.

Mac has "the greatest memories" from his marathons, with his personal best of two hours and 44 minutes achieved in 1983.

Ros has been to support him every year, apart from one, when she had a stroke.

Mac recalls their four children hanging off the gates of Buckingham Palace during the first event in 1981, when just 6,500 runners took part, compared to 59,000 this year.

After the 15th London Marathon in 1995, a group of 42 men who had completed every event were given a special medal and guaranteed entry to future races.

Mac has witnessed many changes to the marathon over the years, from the landscape around Canary Wharf, to the growing number of competitors and spectators.

The inaugural event was designed for club runners but evolved to include everyone from elite entrants to those in weird and wonderful fancy dress, raising money for charity.

Before accurate chip timing, it was difficult to establish how well you had performed unless you checked a list of results published in The Times the next day - or waited for it to arrive in the post.

But throughout it all, a commitment to cross the finish line and get that all important medal has remained.

Mac was so determined to carry on the tradition that he has run with broken bones and norovirus that was so bad he vomited "gallons".

Chris Finill, 67, known as the baby of the group, completed the race in 2018 despite breaking his arm in four places after falling over less than four miles (6km) in.

"I got a sling and just carried on, then I went straight to hospital from the finish line," he says.

One of the group died between marathons, while another was hit by a motorbike and could not take part.

Some have started the race knowing they would get a DNF (did not finish) while others have chosen a DNS (did not start), knowing they would not be able to complete it.

Some have been persuaded by their friends and family that they were not quite strong enough to carry on.

But that was never an option for Mac's wife Ros.

"I would never have told him not to take part, it means too much to him," she says.

Training for this year's event did not go smoothly for Mac, who struggled with injuries. But still he decided to line up at the start.

Seven miles (11 km) in, his annual tradition for almost half of his life suddenly ended.

"It was a disaster. I got to six-and-half miles and I knew I wasn't going to finish.

"I carried on but it was so painful, the pressure on my pelvis, it is possibly a stress fracture. So I took myself off the course and waited for a taxi.

"People have always asked me when I am going to give up. I always said 'one day it will give me up' and that day came on Sunday."

Chris says he can only hope he will still be giving it a shot at Mac's age, calling him a "steadfast and central member of the group", which has now dropped from six to five members.

"Whilst he may no longer be able to say he's run all the London Marathons, he will always be part of that fraternity as one of the original 42," he says.

Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, also paid tribute to Mac's contribution.

"The Ever Presents are a remarkable part of London Marathon history, and Mac Speake's achievement in completing all 45 editions up to this year is truly extraordinary.

"We were saddened to learn that he was unable to finish this year's marathon - we salute his phenomenal endurance and his unwavering commitment."

And so a 46th London Marathon proved to be a step too far for Mac, who admits he feels "very disappointed".

"I'm sorry to have let people down," he says, choking back tears.

Mac will not be taking part next year, but no one can take away his memories.

"The London Marathon has given me so much. I look back at my life and think that at least I have achieved something," he adds.

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