Newark Athletics Club selected to run for England at the Copenhagen Half Marathon

A 23-year-old athlete achieved his personal best time with his international debut at the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

Ed Buck, of Newark’s Athletics Club, was selected for England to run at the half marathon, achieving a time of 65.23, not far from Norway’s legendary track star Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Despite being a tough run — especially the last 5K as they headed into a headwind — the Newark athlete considered the international run one of his best performances.

“I really enjoyed it, the atmosphere was great and rubbing shoulders with world-class athletes from all around the world has given me an appetite for more,” he said.

“I’ve had good support from the Newark Area Endurance training group leading into the race, so I knew that I was in good shape.”

Ed received a full wardrobe of England kit and some running shoes from the Lincolnshire Runner, which he said to contribute to the experience.

Although Ed had been a runner from a young age, it wasn’t until he finished 11th in the county school’s country championships at aged 16 that he realized his chances of getting into the county athletics team.

He joined Newark Athletics Club and started training regularly and following structured plans, and managed to get on the county team in his last year at school, finishing in the top 100 in the English Schools Cross-Country Championships.

He went to university in York, and then completed a Physical Chemistry master’s degree at San Francisco University, which allowed him to train with a range of athletes and get in higher quality races.

Soon he will start as a PhD research assistant in Physical Chemistry, and will continue training with the Newark Area Endurance Group.

Ed said: “We’re looking to do well as a team at Midlands and National level cross country and road race fixtures through the winter.

At a personal level, I’m looking at a low-key foray into the marathon this Autumn, and if that goes ok, I’ll move up to the distance by 2026.

“Long term I’d love to go to a major games, representing my country in the marathon.”

Ed’s racing seasons have increased progressively since he was 18 and now his running style includes a mixture of fast and easy-paced running, with a total weekly volume being between 90 and 110 miles a week.

Ed has offered this advice to young and budding runners — stick to it, but never forget to have fun while doing it, and they can join groups for extra motivation and meet new people.

He added: “Don’t exhaust yourself but do try and run most days, consistency is key.

“My ambition at 18 years old was to break 17 and a half minutes for a park run, and five years later I now have a 5k personal best of 14.08.

“Try to get some advice from a proper coach who has experience of supporting and developing young athletes for the long term.”