Why Robert is run-walking the London Marathon for Versus Arthritis

Robert, age 53, is one of 134 people taking part in the London Marathon for Versus Arthritis this year. After struggling with knee pain for a long time, he has recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knees.

Here, Robert tells us how he’s run-walking the 26 miles to manage his knee pain, and why fundraising for Versus Arthritis is so important to him.

Living with knee pain

Robert has lived with knee pain for over 20 years.

“I’ve struggled with my knees probably from the beginning of my 30s,” he says. “I’m a self-employed plasterer which is a physical job and I’m standing all day long.”

Despite years of pain and discomfort, Robert was only diagnosed with osteoarthritis recently. He wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis, but it also wasn’t welcome news.

“My main concern was being able to work,” says Robert. “It depresses you.”

Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body. While our joints are made of complex living tissue that our bodies constantly repair and maintain, osteoarthritis occurs when our bodies can no longer do this effectively. The cartilage becomes thin, and the joint cannot move as easily as before, causing pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling as the body attempts to repair the joint.

Robert has had one partial knee replacement which has improved his knee pain, but he is waiting for the same operation on his other knee. He describes the pain to be “nagging.”

“It’s there all the time,” he says. “I went for three years not having a proper night’s sleep because of it. I couldn’t get comfortable.”

Raising awareness of arthritis

Robert has always wanted to run the London Marathon. He got a place in the ballot 18 years ago, but had to drop out due to severe knee pain at the time.

“It took away my get up and go mantra to exercise,” he says. “When you’re in pain, you have to really push yourself. It becomes tempting to take the easy option and lie on the sofa and not go out.”

When Robert was in hospital for his first partial knee replacement, he learnt about Versus Arthritis.

“I was sat waiting for my appointment and your pamphlets are on the wall,” he says. “There was so much Versus Arthritis presence in the hospitals.”

So, running the London Marathon and fundraising for Versus Arthritis felt like the perfect opportunity for Robert.

“It’s a brilliant charity but I only discovered it because I was sat waiting for the appointment. It’s awareness, getting as many people as possible to hear about it. I’m hoping people pick up from it and see it’s out there.

“For me, crossing that finish line is something I’ve always wanted to do. Hopefully people will clock what I’m wearing and clock the charity.”

Run-walking the London Marathon

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to physical activity and osteoarthritis.

For example, many people worry that running will wear out their knees and cause osteoarthritis, but this isn’t the case. In fact, research shows that recreational running may reduce the risk of osteoarthritis and many people with arthritis find that running works for them. The key thing is to avoid injuries, including by gradually building up stamina, and increasing balance and muscle strength.

Robert is still experiencing knee pain, so he has decided to approach the London Marathon using a combination of running and walking. This is an effective technique that helps to control fatigue and reduces the likelihood of getting injured.

“I’m doing a lot of fast walking at the moment which is going well,” Robert says.

He’s also working on gradually building his stamina by adding other cardiovascular activities into his training, such as cycling.

“I’m doing some treadmill and I’m going to start doing morning sessions on the bike,” says Robert. “My current goal is London Marathon and then I’m looking to do Ride London at the end of the May.”

No matter how long it takes him, Robert is confident that he can make it to the finish line.

“I know, standing on that start line, that I can get to the end, even if it’s hobbling round it. It’s just how quickly can I get round.”

If you want to try the run-walk technique like Robert, parkrun is a great way to start with a supportive community. There are always tail walkers to support people who prefer to walk the parkrun route.

How Robert is fundraising for Versus Arthritis

There are lots of different ways to fundraise for Versus Arthritis. From bake sales to tombola’s, every fundraising event helps to fund our research and raise awareness of arthritis.

Robert has found his own creative way to meet his London Marathon fundraising target.

“I’m going to dye my hair a choosing of someone’s colour once the race has completed,” he says. “I’m potentially shaving my head, too - obviously for the right money!”

Robert has also been sharing his story on social media to raise awareness of arthritis.

“It was nice to share my story on Facebook,” he says. “I’m going to a big thing when my vest arrives and send it out to friends on WhatsApp too.”

Robert’s advice on staying active with osteoarthritis

When it comes to exercising with osteoarthritis, it’s important to find an exercise you enjoy and do it regularly (twice a week is a good place to start).

You should start with small amounts of the exercise that aren’t too strenuous and build up gradually. Everyone is different, so it’s important to listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

As Robert has struggled with knee pain for a lot of his life, he knows how difficult it can be to find the motivation to exercise when you have osteoarthritis. But he also knows how important it is.

“I think everyone suffers differently and everyone’s made differently,” he says. “Exercise is a mental thing and getting out the door is the hardest part. So, get out the door, that’d be my advice. Once you’re out you’re on the move and you won’t look back.

You don’t need to run a marathon to stay active with osteoarthritis. We offer lots of different resources to help people with arthritis stay active and add more movement into their day:

• Try Let’s Move with Leon, our a 12-week programme consisting of 30-minute sessions, designed to help you improve mobility, posture, balance, cardiovascular and respiratory fitness and strength.   
• Join our Let’s Move Facebook group, a space where people share their experience of staying active when living with arthritis.
• Sign up to our Let’s Move newsletter to receive advice and top tips on how to stay active with arthritis.