‘Excitement and pride’ as Liverpool BTR boss runs last London Marathon with daughter who’s running her first

Liverpool BTR race director Alan Rothwell is coming out of ‘retirement’ for a last marathon – to support his daughter who’s running her first.

Alan, 69, who organises and delivers the BTR race events including the city’s Santa Dash, the Half Marathon and the Mersey Tunnel 10K happening this weekend, is taking part in the London Marathon on April 27 with his youngest, Abbie, after a break of 17 years.

He says: “When Abbie said she was interested in doing a marathon I thought it was because her friends had done one and she had FOMO, and that she’d soon forget about it.

“But she didn’t.

“When she entered the ballot last year, I did too, but neither of us got a place. Then Claire House said I could have one of their places and, after someone dropped out, we nailed one down for Abbie.”

Alan smiles: “It’s obviously great fun to do it and to train with Abbie and I’ve been mentoring her.  I have got all the expertise but not the fitness and, at 30, she has all the fitness and none of the expertise! But she’s doing really well and I’ve got high hopes for her.

“We’ve had tops printed like the old Frankie Goes to Hollywood RELAX t-shirts with FIRST and LAST on. We’re a bit like Ant and Dec, and she needs to stand on my right so it reads ‘First and last’!

“She doesn’t realise my main job is to deliver her to the starting line and say ‘right now go on, enjoy your day – and I’ll be back before dark’.

“I don’t doubt we’ll both finish and there will be lots of excitement and pride.  The excitement will be hers. The pride, when she gets the good time I know she will, will be all mine!”

The pair are hoping to raise more than £5,000 for Claire House Children’s Hospice.

Everton-born Alan, who now lives in West Kirkby, has always run.

“I ran as a child and people thought there was something wrong with me. It was the late ‘60s, and everyone else was playing footie and wanted to become Alan Ball – and I just wanted to run. I ran instinctively.

“I went to John Hamilton High School for boys, and we had cross country. Everyone else regularly forgot their kit or brought a note from their mum excusing them, but I was happy to do it.

“Someone challenged me to run from Liverpool to Southport, 18 miles, and I just did it, Forrest Gump style, to show I could and got the train back.  It was just after the announcement for the first London Marathon in 1981, and I did raise money for a Daily Mirror Save Our Seals campaign.”

Alan has since run 43 marathons – this will be his 44^th – and founded up BTR (Born to Run) Liverpool.

It was established as a hobby to organise the first Liverpool Half Marathon but has gone on to become a hugely successful organisation which creates and runs some of the most popular sporting and fundraising events in the city, partnering with eight well-known charities.

Alan says: “I stopped doing marathons in 2007, but I still do regular 10Ks and run Half Marathons every now and again.

“I enjoy it.

“For me running is escapism, the chance to be on my own thinking about Everton, my family, or my next run, without any distractions.  I never run with a phone or listening devices.

“I guess I was practicing mindfulness before anyone knew it was a thing, it cleanses my mind and thought processes.  It’s therapeutic.

“Abbie had never run until she got her place in the London Marathon for Claire House and now she’s telling everybody about its joys like I did; that she’s just run 15 miles with her dad, and so on.

“She is obviously faster than me.”

The pair have been training together, with the two fitting running in between jobs. Abbie is long haul cabin crew for British Airways so it isn’t always easy, but they hope to fit in an 18-mile and a 20-mile run before the event: “I’d like to do 22 but I don’t think there’ll be time,” says Alan.

“Me and Abbie have always got on well but it’s been especially nice running together. And I can see she’s got composure, her arm movement’s good.

“This might be Abbie’s first marathon, but I don’t think it will be her last. She’s enjoying it like I always have.”

He adds: “Abbie will be shattered. We both will – there’s no easy way of doing a marathon.

“But my wife, and her mum, Yvonne, will be there to watch us and I just want her to embrace the day. I came out of retirement to encourage Abbie and then I’ll hang up my marathon shoes and leave her to hopefully carry on using hers!

“I’m looking forward to it. It will be a great day for both of us. We are raising money for an amazing charity – Claire House is one of our partners so, for me, it’s pay back from me to them for a change.”

To help Alan and Abbie – and Claire House Children’s Hospice – go to the website HERE.

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