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Stewart Shimberg

Manchester Marathon 2026

Help me reach my goal of £500

Running the Manchester Marathon for Parkinson’s UK

On April 19th, I’ll be running the Manchester Marathon for Parkinson’s UK, a cause that’s incredibly close to my heart.

My grandma, Sybil, lived with the disease for many years. As a child, I didn’t fully understand what was happening; I just knew how much it took from her. I don’t actually have a single memory of her not being ill. Every memory I have is of her being housebound, sitting in her chair, limited by such a cruel condition.

It robbed us of so many simple childhood moments things like her coming to my birthday parties, school plays, or sports days (not that I was ever much of an athlete back then!). 

These are the kinds of days most people take for granted, but they would have meant everything to us.

Having seen the impact this has not just on the person diagnosed, but on everyone who loves them I wanted to do something to help.

I’m running this for my Grandma Sybil, and for everyone else out there whose lives have been changed by Parkinson’s. 

Every donation, no matter the size, goes toward the research and support that the Parkinson’s community so desperately needs.

Thank you so much for your support.  💙

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£500

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My updates

MCR Marathon Training Update: Week 9 of 16

Monday 2nd Mar
You’d think after a few marathons I’d have this all figured out by now. In the past, I’ve described marathon training as a bit like Stockholm Syndrome, you somehow fall in love with your captor. Usually and crazily once race day is over, I actually miss the routine and those endless long runs.
Right now? Nothing could be further from the truth. Honestly, a Sunday morning spent in bed sounds a lot more appealing than 19 miles in the rain.
This week’s 19-miler dragged. No runner’s high just head down and grinding it out. I intentionally chose a route that covered about 15 miles of the actual Manchester Marathon course. My logic is that when marathon brain kicks in on race day and a slight incline starts feeling like Everest, my muscle memory will take over and remind me it’s not actually that bad. That’s the theory, anyway. I managed all 19 miles without stopping once, not even for a red light this week.
Which brings me to Olympian Jeff Galloway. The man who inspired the run walk movement sadly passed away this week. I was lucky enough to meet Jeff a few times and he was always generous with his time. We spoke about the many benefits of run walking and for many years I was a dedicated "Jeffer". It is only recently, as I have got fitter and stronger, that I have been able to run consistently. But that was all thanks to Jeff. His method was the perfect platform to push beyond myself.
After 19 miles when I finally got home i essentially tried to eat my way through the kitchen. If anyone has ever earned a pizza at 11:00 AM, it was me.
For those who have missed my previous ramblings, I’m running the Manchester Marathon this April to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. Every donation goes directly toward research and supporting people living with the condition. There is a link in my profile if you’d like to support the cause every bit honestly makes a massive difference.
That’s Week 9 done and dusted. On to Week 10.
The weeks are absolutely flying by.

MCR Marathon Training Update: Week 8 of 16

Sunday 22nd Feb
This week was a dip week. Lower mileage, slightly calmer legs, and a chance to let the body recover from the last few big efforts. That said, I still ran 24 miles across 4 runs.
The highlight of the week was Wednesday night at Longford Park with Didsbury Runners. Eight 800m reps on the track. In absolutely freezing conditions. There were over 40 of us circling that track, I’ll let you decide whether that’s inspiring dedication or collective madness. Most of this marathon block has been fairly solo. Just me, my thoughts, and whatever podcast I convince myself will make the miles fly by. So track sessions are a real boost. There’s something about shared suffering, it’s a good reminder that I’m not actually doing this alone.
This week’s long run was “only” 10 miles (yes, I did just say only). I decided to roll it into parkrun, which meant an earlier alarm than I’d have liked on Saturday but it bought me a full Sunday off. A trade I was very happy to make. With the mileage about to ramp up and three-hour runs looming, 10 miles suddenly feels like a warm-up.
Somewhere during those miles I found myself overthinking how dirty the streets of Manchester actually are. I don’t know how people walk through all that and then keep their shoes on at home. Is that normal or is that just my slightly obsessive marathon brain at work?
With my Sunday “off,” I had visions of a slow morning and a lie-in. That lasted approximately 15 minutes. Instead, I clipped in for a two-hour Peloton session. Apparently I don’t really do rest days.
For anyone who’s missed my previous ramblings, I’m training for the Manchester Marathon in April and raising money for Parkinson's UK. Every donation goes towards research and supporting people living with Parkinson’s. There’s a link in my profile if you’d like to support, every contribution makes a difference.
That’s Week 8 boxed off.
We move into Week 9… which includes a casual 19-mile long run.

MCR Marathon Training Update: Week 7 of 16

Tuesday 17th Feb
I’ll be honest this Sunday's long run sucked. The weather was miserable, the route I chose was boring, and I pretty much hated every minute of it. No "runner’s high" today just a long, wet 17 mile slog. But it’s done, and that’s another week ticked off the plan. I’m officially halfway through now, heading into the "business end" where the runs just keep getting longer.
On the plus side, I tried and liked these Vimto Gels. I’m not 100% sure they actually tasted like Vimto, but they were a million times better than those SIS Lemon & Lime ones that taste like coriander, the herb of the devil.
I also loved my post-run Huel protein shake. I had it cold this week, which was a smart move. Last week I tried putting it through my coffee machine milk steamer and it caused me no end of issues. You live and learn! It tasted great, but it’s got me wondering: does anyone know if heating up a protein drink kills the nutritional benefits?
For those that don't know, the reason why I’m doing these training updates is because I’m running the Manchester Marathon in April for Parkinson’s UK. You can find a link on my profile to donate. Every donation, no matter the size, goes toward research and supporting the Parkinson’s community.
And for that kind contribution, I will continue to share with you the "post-run brain" ramblings of a mad person.
Onwards to Week 8!

Thank you to my sponsors

£26.45

Lisa B

Good luck Stewart, you have got this 💪 I hope you raise lots of money for this great cause

£20

Jan And Wayne

Well done on your training and a great cause to run for. You're going to smash both the event and your sponsorship total xx

£21.84

Margaret White

Great cause. Good luck.

£10

Graham Collie

All the best! Hope you enjoy it. Great cause.

£20

Charlotte Legge

Go Stew! You will totally smash it! Such an amazing charity to raise money for. Love Charlotte, Alan & Harley xx