Conservative MP Harriet Cross will line up for the London Marathon on Sunday, aiming to finish in under four hours.
A sub-three hour 57 minute time would see her set a new benchmark as the fastest female MP, surpassing the record held by Jo Swinson, the former Liberal Democrat leader.
Cross acknowledges the challenge ahead, maintaining a measured perspective.
“There’s still a 26.2-mile course between me and that outcome, so I’m trying not to get ahead of myself,” she says.
“I’m hoping to finish somewhere around the three-hour mark, but ultimately, anything in the mid-three hours would be a satisfactory result.”
Representing Gordon and Buchan, Cross is no stranger to distance running; in 2023, she claimed victory in a 50km (31-mile) ultramarathon. Despite this pedigree, she admits there is some apprehension about London.
While well-versed in mountain marathons, this will be her inaugural experience running such a distance on a paved surface.
“It’s different on a flat course—you don’t have the excuse to walk like you might uphill, so it’s quite intimidating,” she notes.
She also points to the atmosphere as a major contrast. In Scotland, she’s accustomed to only a few hundred spectators, while London attracts upwards of 50,000, which she describes as “daunting.”
Labour MP Cat Smith will join her, running her third London Marathon. Smith confesses to pre-race nerves as well.
She characterises her feelings as “maranoia”—the pre-race anxiety that prompts reflection on training and preparedness.
“In the final days before the marathon, you start to question whether you’ve trained enough, if you should’ve pushed harder, or lifted more weights,” she explains. “All those doubts come creeping in.”
“But I recognise this pattern from previous years—it’s completely normal,” says the Lancaster and Wyre MP.
Unlike Cross, Smith is not focused on breaking any records, clocking six hours and six minutes in her previous outing.
“I’m certainly on the slower side—very much the tortoise in the race—but reaching the finish line is the true achievement,” Smith reflects.
As a veteran of the event, does Smith offer any advice to her colleague?
“Honestly, my only suggestion is to keep putting one foot in front of the other,” she says with humility.
Both MPs will be part of a group of 16 parliamentary runners this year. Cross sees parallels between marathon running and a career in politics.
“It requires determination and focus. It’s important not to be distracted by others,” she says. “If you set off at the pace of someone attempting two and a half hours when you’re not trained for it, you won’t get far.”
Cross is fundraising for Kayleigh’s Wee Stars, which supports families of children with terminal illnesses.
Smith is supporting the Bay Hospital Charity, which provides additional comforts for patients and some essential equipment not typically covered by the NHS.
Hear more from the interviews on BBC Radio 4’s Today in Parliament at 23:30 BST this Fridayand subsequently on BBC Sounds.
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