Ruby smashes club marathon record at TCS London Marathon (the inspiring story behind this incredible achievement)

Article written by Jon Holl

With 43 years of running records under our belt, breaking any club record is amazing, but Ruby Jones recently smashed her own (and club) ladies marathon record and the 3-hour barrier, all at the age of 35. 

But Ruby did it the hard way…  read her very tough but inspirational story here…

What makes Ruby’s achievements even more remarkable is that in 2019 she was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.  She had osteopenia (low bone mass), bradycardia (low heart rate from the body going into energy saving mode), low blood sugars and failing kidneys. In Ruby’s words “I was in all sorts of trouble”.

Ruby said “I had been running for years, and it was my sanctuary. I had it in my head that the leaner I was, the faster I would be. I was in denial for several years. I knew I was a bit weird about food. I knew there was a problem, but I had to stay in my routine. To step out of it scared me. It was a bit of a yo-yo, I was under the eating disfunction services, and we reached the point where I wasn’t strong enough to get into my dad’s truck and couldn’t lift my own daughter up. They gave me the option of becoming a hospital in-patient or moving in with my parents. I couldn’t face being away from my daughter Ava and this was the point where I recognised things needed to change. At 31 I had to move back in with my parents.

I needed to change my behaviour and being at home with my parents helped me do just that.   Previously, buying food had involved analysing every little content and then cooking it built my anxiety.  Being at home with my mum cooking meant all I had to do was eat it. 

Even this wasn’t easy though. I didn’t realise how far I had gone. I started to eat and suffered from hyperphagia (extreme hunger) after a period of extreme starvation. Oedema (fluid retention) followed, and I was unable to run at all.  This really hit me, and I relapsed. It took me two years to reach a healthy balance, going from one extreme to another. I had to stop my illness from dictating everything I did. 

It took me two years, going from one extreme to another before finally finding a balance.  My parents gave unquestionable support, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

Running incentivised me to turn the corner.  Training built my confidence, and I felt I had to train properly for New York and then London.  My target was to break my own club record of 3hrs 6minutes 55seconds, and if I could break through the 3-hour barrier.”

When Ruby ran New York Marathon in November last year, things didn’t go to plan. But good runners pick themselves up, learn lessons from disappointment and come back stronger. She later found out she had a previously undiagnosed virus at the time.  Rather than making excuses, she analysed her performance, with her coach Liz Weeks. She hadn’t included hills in her training (NY is full of bridges) and allowed her heart rate to rise too high (180bpm at times). 

Ruby decided to put in some more long runs, to build her aerobic capacity and 60-minute runs at a target heart rate of 160bpm. She doubled her long runs and was covering 70-80 miles every week, with sections of these runs at marathon pace. Rehearsing for the real thing was important to her mental and physical preparation.     

We asked; what else did you do differently?

“I realised I needed to simulate the race situation more effectively. My treadmill training had helped me manage consistent pace and heart rate.  However, the treadmill does not mirror race day.  Weather, wind and the ability to self-regulate and analyse my body was important. ‘One pace Ruby’ had to change. I still allowed myself a chill out run, sometimes as slow as 9-minute miling, but incorporated sections at marathon pace. My coach Liz Weeks brought the structure I needed. I brought the willingness and commitment. She set me some pretty challenging runs, which I would have done but probably given up when it got hard. Having Liz in the background made me feel accountable.  

I had 5 months off in pregnancy, stopping running about 20 weeks pregnant because I was experiencing round ligament pain and didn’t want to risk a thing. I fell over first long run back in February and this set me back. ‘Mum guilt’ through all that time training had troubled me, having to leave my baby Esme and daughter Ava so much, but my husband Rhys and parents have been fabulous. To be successful you must be selfish at times and Rhys was fantastic. I would arrive home from a run and rather than grumble he would have the bath run for me.   

I started using SIS Beta gels. I realised I had under-fuelled in New York and the beta gels have 80g of carbs with maltodextrin and fructose, using two pathways to get energy into my body. I had tried all sorts of other gels including Maurten, but SIS Beta suited me best. I took a gel every 30 minutes with no stomach issues, having also done this in training.

Race day came. I didn’t warm up as I consider the first steady paced mile to be my warmup. You have 26 to do after all!  I had confidence from my long runs and had achieved 18 miles at target pace on my own, without any supportive crowds. I started at the Championship start and didn’t realise they had no pacers. However, I settled myself into the pace and chatted to as many people as I could as I ran and took in the atmosphere.  There were so many Traccies around the course supporting and at mile 16 I saw Rhys and Esme. This gave me a huge lift. At mile 20 my watch was telling me I was on pace to break the 3-hour barrier, but I knew the tall buildings could play havoc with GPS signals. With 45 minutes to complete 10k I expected the pain to come, but it didn’t. I entered The Mall at 2.57 something on the race clock and knew I started 40 seconds after the elite men.  Seeing the time clock made it real for me. I was bowled over with emotion from within. I’d had the three-hour barrier in my sights for many years. I had finally done it!  2hrs.56.21 in that heat!  I had done it!”

For runners who like a bit of data, let’s take a second to consider Ruby’s average pace of 6.39-minute miles… that’s a 20-minute parkrun repeated 9 times! Her pace varied by no more than 5 seconds up/down each mile and her cadence was similarly consistent.

Ruby has been a Thanet Roadrunner for over 10 years and is a previous club treasurer. We are SO proud of her achievement, against all odds. We are A CLUB FOR ALL and sharing motivational stories like this for the benefit of others is just part of what we do. Ruby is happy to share her story as it may help others. 

If you or a family member have been affected by eating disorders, Ruby recommends BEAT, the well-known eating disorder charity, offering free support helplines. The support via NHS is NELFT, but the biggest thing Ruby would recommend is a podcast called ‘Train brave’ (available on Spotify). It features Renee McGregor, who specialises in eating disorders in sport. She is a leading sports nutritionist and has authored many books and her own clinic but it’s private, (so you must pay to see her). She has also completed extensive research into REDs (relative energy deficient in sport).