Steve Way used to be overweight, unfit and a smoker who consumed takeaways and chocolate regularly. However, he started running to get fit and eventually ran more than 26,000 miles over the years.
Steve Way used to be overweight, unfit and a smoker who consumed takeaways and chocolate regularly. However, he started running to get fit and eventually ran more than 26,000 miles over the years.
He trained himself and managed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, running for England in the marathon.
Despite being a self-coached club runner, Way has beaten many established athletes in races, including finishing 15th in the London Marathon with a time of 2:16:27, which was 33 seconds under the qualifying standard for the Commonwealth Games.
His journey to becoming an international athlete required hard work, dedication and attention to detail. Steve Way’s journey from an overweight smoker addicted to fast food and chocolate to an international athlete is a truly inspirational story.
Despite having no prior athletic background, Steve Way turned to running to get fit and healthy. And he didn’t stop, he has now run over 26,000 miles, more than the circumference of the globe, and will be representing England at the Commonwealth Games at the age of 40.
In the past, Steve Way weighed 16 1/2 stone and had high-blood pressure, a 20-a-day smoking habit, and an addiction to takeaways and chocolate.
He was not particularly athletic and even admits to hiding in the bushes with his friend during the first lap of cross-country at school.
However, after several unsuccessful attempts to lose weight by eating healthily and jogging, Steve decided to take running more seriously.
In 2006, Steve entered his first marathon on a whim and finished in a highly respectable 3:07.08 despite being “a fat bloke bouncing along next to club runners.”
But then he didn’t put on a pair of running shoes for 18 months. In 2007, he was struggling with smoking and unhealthy eating habits, which led to him being overweight and impacting his sleep.
This was the turning point for Steve, and he decided to quit smoking and fast food and began jogging. Steve soon followed a 24-week plan from the book Advanced Marathoning and aimed to break three hours at the 2008 London Marathon.
Instead, he ran it in 2:35, which was a massive achievement for him. Steve joined an athletics club and started to take running more seriously after this.
In 2009, he ran London in 2:25 despite injuring his hamstring the week before. He collapsed when he crossed the line, having torn most of the muscles around his pelvis, and was on crutches for weeks.
However, Steve’s thirst for self-improvement only grew, and in 2010, with the help of advice from the British Olympic marathon runner Liz Yelling, he broke 2:20 for the very first time.
Steve continued to push himself and work hard on his training, but progress slowed down in the following years.
One of the key reasons behind Steve Way’s success is his unconventional training methods. Instead of a strict training regime, Steve followed his intuition and listened to his body.
He runs around 130-140 miles a week, fitting it in around his nine-to-five job in a bank. Steve is a one-man band and self-coached club runner.
He does not have a coach and trains himself, focusing on his strengths and weaknesses. Steve’s success has inspired many, and his unconventional training methods have sparked a debate in the running community.
Steve’s transformation is not just limited to his training methods; he also made significant changes to his diet and lifestyle.
He quit smoking and fast food and started eating healthily. Steve’s wife, Sarah, an accountant, keeps track of his income and outgoings from running.
Last year, Steve just about broke even when taking into account traveling to races. His dedication and hard work paid off, and Steve was now making a name for himself in the running community.
Steve’s big breakthrough came in the London Marathon in 2014, where he ran a personal best by nearly three minutes, finishing in two hours, 16 minutes, and 27 seconds.
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