This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
Friday, October 25, 2019, marked a significant milestone for Jackson, a six-star Marathon Majors athlete, as he reflected on his journey to completing the World Marathon Majors.
For Jackson, a managing director of Design40 Limited, an interior design firm, running marathons has become an integral part of his life. He has been running for most of his life, but it wasn't until six years ago that he took on serious marathon running.
‘‘I have been running for most of my life. I only took on serious marathon running six years ago,’’ says Jackson. ‘‘My running has always been motivated by the desire to keep fit.’’
With a total of 10 full marathons under his belt, including the Berlin, Tokyo, London, New York, Boston, and Chicago marathons, Jackson has achieved an impressive feat. He has also participated in other notable marathons, such as the Copenhagen, Cape Town, Singapore, and Seychelles Eco marathons.
‘‘I have done 10 full marathons so far and one ultra of 56km,’’ he says. ‘‘I started with Singapore Stanchart marathon in 2016, then went on to participate in the famous Two Oceans Ultra in Capetown the following year.’’
Despite the challenges he has faced, including a hypothermia attack during the 2017 Boston Marathon, Jackson remains committed to his passion for running. He credits his training and dedication for his success, saying, ‘‘To run a marathon, you must hit the road. There are no two ways about it.’’
For Judy, a Nairobi Bottlers employee and entrepreneur, running marathons has become a way to challenge herself and push her limits. She started running in 2013 to lose post-pregnancy weight and has since competed in three out of the six marathon majors in the world.
‘‘My dream is to run New York, Tokyo, and Boston marathons,’’ says Judy. ‘‘My most remarkable race was the 2018 Chicago Marathon where I clocked 5:51:38 hours. That may be enough to drive from Mombasa to Nairobi, but for me, it was an item off my bucket list.’’
As an entrepreneur, Judy juggles her career and marathon schedules, but she argues that running shouldn't be an excuse to skive off work. She prepares for a marathon by training for four months, often waking up at 4am or 5am every day to fit in her runs.
Both Jackson and Judy agree that running marathons has nurtured virtues necessary to excel in business, including diligence, discipline, commitment, work ethic, and strategy. However, they also acknowledge that success in business depends on a lot more than simply clocking the miles.
