Inspired by Potential: Meet John, a marathon runner 

Once homeless, this is where John is today:  

Five years ago I went for a run and could only keep going for three minutes. I decided in that moment that I needed to improve my stamina.  

But I was homeless and using the charity Nightstop to get a bed every night, so it was really hard to pursue my own goals. Although I was studying at Exeter College I sometimes had to travel as far as Barnstaple to find a bed for the night.  

When I arrived at YMCA Exeter, the gift of stability changed all that.  

One thing that helped me was joining the YMCA Exeter running group. Suddenly, I found that there were people holding me accountable to turn up and run every week, plus friends to socialise with.  

I trained to run a 5k and then upped it to a 10k. Then in 2024 I ran the Great West Run’s half-marathon. 

When the opportunity came up to run the London Marathon, I was super nervous, but throughout the winter I trained and on the day it was incredible.  

Seeing the crowds was phenomenal and it was amazing running over the London landmarks. I thought there would be spots where people were cheering you on, but it was just constant. People cheering you on, everywhere! 

Once homeless, John ran the London Marathon in 2025 and raised over £1,000 to support young people like him facing homelessness across Devon.    

Watch John in our brand new Christmas film

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