For Wimbledon resident John Krause, a late introduction to the world of marathons now finds him regularly running in locations across the world.
John first started distance running when he turned 40. “I guess it was something of a mid-life crisis. It was on my bucket list to run one marathon just to prove I could, but once I completed the first race, the challenge was on for the next.”
15 years down the line, John is a regular competitor in the London Marathon and his passion has taken him to many major cities to participate in marathons including New York, Sydney, Toronto and Berlin. Last year, he added the China Coastal Run in Hong Kong and a marathon in Queenstown, New Zealand, his 125th run.
No-one who knows him was surprised when John suddenly upped his game by entering the world of the Triathlon; not just running, but cycling and swimming as well. He participated in his first Ironman race last October, and has done so well that this July he’s been selected to represent Great Britain in the 55-60 age group at the 2016 European Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Poland. “It’s quite something to be representing my country for the first time – sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe it!”
Through his running, John raises funds for the charity STEM4, founded by his wife, Dr Nihara Krause after a friend of their daughter’s died from anorexia. “The aim of STEM4 is to increase our understanding of mental health issues in teenagers – we all know this is an area of growing concern.” John has raised many thousands, not just through marathons but by donating bespoke terrazzo furniture for auction. For when he’s not running races, John is MD of Diespeker & Co, a busy natural stone and terrazzo business.
What is most remarkable about John’s physical endeavours is his admission he doesn’t actually enjoy the act of running. “For me, running is a means to an end. I get to see the world, I can eat and drink what I like and it increases my stamina for playing football, my real sporting obsession. But who knows, if I keep at it long enough, I might even get to like it one day!”
John in his Great Britain gear
