London Marathon 2026: Three Stories That Prove What the Human Body Can Do

A cancer survivor in medieval armour. A 65-year-old getting faster every year. A woman who ran the Boston and London marathons just six days apart and felt stronger at the finish of the second. Not feel-good footnotes. Evidence.

Jonathan Acott — The Iron Survivor

There are hard things, and then there is running 26.2 miles in 27 kilograms of steel plate in a London spring.

Jonathan Acott, a six-time cancer survivor, Ironman finisher, seven-continent marathon runner, arrived with a world record in his sights. He did not break it. He finished all 26.2 miles.

He lives without several original organs, with permanent nerve damage and a compromised immune system. He has stood on Kilimanjaro and Antarctic ice. When he calls London in armour “the hardest thing I have ever done,” that means something.

“My health history means I don’t bounce back like I used to. CurraNZ is a non-negotiable part of my recovery. The blackcurrant anthocyanins give me the vascular support and rapid muscle recovery I need to handle the constant impact and the extra 27 kilos of steel. To survive six cancers, you need a strategy; to break a world record in armour, you need the best science in your corner.”

Running in aid of @thegiftofgo: “The weight of the steel is a metaphor for the weight we all carry.”

Mark Kleanthous — The 65-Year-Old Getting Faster

Mark Kleanthous, 65, (left) finished London in 3:24:42 - his 127th marathon. For context, his previous London times were 3:52 in 2024, 3:36 in 2025. He is not holding his speed. He is building it.

Six weeks before London, he ran 1:29:35 at the Cambridge Half, his first sub-90 in 16 years, winning the 65-plus age group out of 115 competitors by nearly four minutes, closing kilometre at 4:03 pace.

“Without doubt, CurraNZ made a big difference – and upping the race-day dose. Not only does it help me sustain a high level of intensity, but it also allows me not to slow down - which in the latter stages of a marathon is often where all the time is lost.”

Laura Watts — Boston to London in Six Days

Six days before London, Laura Watts (right) ran the Boston Marathon. Six days later she was in Greenwich. London was just 15 seconds slower – and it was her second-fastest marathon ever. Negative split. Felt better as the race progressed, not worse.

“My recovery from Boston was off the scale! And as the race progressed I got faster and faster! I’ve never run so fast since taking the magic berries!”

What Connects These Runners

Three athletes. Three challenges. One thread: recovery taken as seriously as training.

Jonathan finished in armour most people could not lift. Mark ran 27 minutes faster than two years ago. Laura ran two world-major marathons in a week and felt stronger at the end. 

The blackcurrant anthocyanins in CurraNZ are not a shortcut. They are a tool for athletes who do the work - and who know the work is only as good as the recovery surrounding it.