Northampton runner chases '100 Club' vest challenge at upcoming Northampton marathon

A Northampton man is one race away from his dream of running 100 marathons.
Andy Cottrell at the finishing line of another race on his journey to finishing 100 marathons.Andy Cottrell at the finishing line of another race on his journey to finishing 100 marathons.
Andy Cottrell at the finishing line of another race on his journey to finishing 100 marathons.

When Andy Cottrell, 55, from Kingsthorpe Hollow, crosses the finish line at a Northampton race on July 22, friends and family will be there to hand him the coveted "100 Club" runners' vest to mark his achievement

Straight after completing the London Marathon for the second time in 2014, Andy challenged himself to complete one race a month - but it soon escalated into running back-to-back marathons, and he has now run 89 of them in the past three years.

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Andy said: "It becomes an obsession after a while. Once I got the idea of earning a '100 Club' vest in my head I just started chasing it.

"I love the social aspect of it. You meet people at marathons who are also after the "100" vest. You get to know each other and encourage each other to keep going."

Anyone who has completed 50 marathons can apply to the "100 Club" for associate membership, but full membership and the club's uniquely-coloured blue-and-green vest is only awarded to runners who can complete 100.

Now, Andy is on course to make the Music Legend Challenge Run, starting at Holiday Inn, in Bedford Road, Northampton, on July 22, his 100th finish line.

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In a last push to squeeze in races and make the Northampton run the last hurdle of his challenge, Andy ran three marathons in three days over the weekend of June 30.

He will be the only current member of his running club, the Northampton Road Runners, to own the vest.

Andy said: "The Road Runners have been a great support. They're always asking how many I've got to go, and they've been very encouraging.

"It won't be my last marathon, but I won't do as many after this. I've very proud to have done it. I don't quite know how I'll feel crossing the line though."

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Andy's wife Tina said: "I don't quite understand it. But I know I'm very proud of him for persevering through it all."

The Music Legend Challenge Run is organised by the Saxon Viking and Normans Marathons group and celebrate's the work of musicians and artists. This year's "music legend" is The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, and every runner must wear purple.

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