Paul runs his 30th half marathon – 10 left for charity goal

A RUNNER has just taken part in his 30th half marathon – as part of his mission to mark his 40th year of living with type one diabetes.

Paul Coker, who finished the Merthyr Half Marathon on Sunday, is now only 10 runs away from his goal, having competed in locations across the world including Madrid and LA.

Paul, from Ferndale, will finish the mammoth task with his 40th in Swansea in June, some 15 months after starting.

The charitable 45-year-old, who was diagnosed with the condition at a very young age, kicked off the challenge in March last year.

His fundraising is directly supporting Diabetes UK’s work with the Cardiff family who tragically lost their 13-yearold son Peter Baldwin in 2015 as a result of undiagnosed type one diabetes.

Paul said: “If I ever need any motivation to get me to the end of a race then all I think of is how important it is to raise awareness of the symptoms of type one diabetes and prevent any other family experiencing a tragedy like the Baldwin family has faced.”

Paul said as he was growing up with diabetes, people were always telling him that his condition would stop him from doing things, but over the years he said he has turned this around by demonstrating anything is possible with the right attitude.

He added: “By the time I get to my final race I will have run 520 miles in total so it will feel like a huge achievement.

“I’m looking forward to crossing the final finishing line at the Swansea Half Marathon because it will be a huge thank-you to all of the people who have supported me throughout my journey with diabetes during the last 40 years.

“I want others living with type one diabetes to join me on my last run as we’re aiming to get the largest team of runners with the condition together for the event, to show how important it is to raise awareness and show you can achieve anything you set your mind to with the right preparation and support.”

For now, though, he is focused on the final 10 runs of his challenge.

“After 30 runs I have to admit I am getting a little tired,” he said. “But I am a lot fitter and this challenge has improved my diabetes management a lot. I’ve even run four half marathons in 14 days, which included two races in Los Angeles.

“My training routine is so important to keep me fit and ready to run. I typically run two or three miles on a Monday, five miles on a Wednesday and then three miles on a Friday. I also have a stretching routine that was specifically designed for me by a personal trainer.

“I’ve also found it really useful to have support and advice from my healthcare team who have been helping me to make sure I’m looking after my diabetes and nutrition.

“Making sure I eat the right things is absolutely vital and has made a huge difference, especially to my recovery time after a race.”

Anybody living with type one diabetes who would like more information can visit www.diabetes.org.uk/Cymru