‘I still don’t like running’: Man prepares to run 200th marathon at London event

The Managing Director of a South London business is preparing to run his 200th marathon.

John Krause, 62, from Wimbledon, who heads up natural stone and terrazzo specialist Diespeker & Co, based in Ormside Street, Bermondsey, will be running in the London Marathon on April 23.

John has only been taking part in marathons since he turned 40.

He said: “It was only supposed to be one marathon, aimed to help me get over a bit of a mid-life crisis and raise funds for Diabetes UK in support of my niece, Sam.

“I didn’t even like running. Yet here I am in 2023 preparing for marathon number 200 – and I still don’t like running.”

In recognition of that first run, John is again fundraising for Diabetes UK.

His first race was 23 years ago, at the London Marathon of 2000.

Since then, he has run marathons around the world, including in New York, Berlin, Sydney, Toronto, Queenstown, Seville, Amsterdam, Malta, Barbados and China.

His fastest time was three hours and eight minutes in the 2015 London Marathon.

John has also represented Great Britain in a number of long distance races.

He will be joined in the London Marathon by colleague David Batt, who is foreman at Diespeker.

David is at the other end of the scale, as this will be his very first full marathon.

David was approached by a neighbour who had seen him out running.

He said: “He told me a charity slot had come free for Fight for Sight, which has a mission to prevent sight loss through its pioneering research.

“The charity is very relevant to me and my family. My dad’s mum lost her sight, and my mum’s dad became partially sighted.”

Both the first-time runner and the veteran marathon man will join about 50,000 others taking on the famous race.

Pictured top: John Krause after his 100th marathon (Picture: John Krause)