News
Alex does his veggie best in Loch Ness marathon
10th October 2025
-
Share this:
- Share on facebook
- Share on twitter
- Share on linkedin
It was a monster challenge for Cotswold Veg Box boss Alex Thompson when he tackled the Loch Ness Marathon.
“I hadn’t run further than 5k since lockdown unless it was chasing a cricket ball,” said the 38-year-old manager. “It was my oldest friend Ollie Woskett who got me into it. We went out one day and he said ‘I’m doing this – you’ll do it with me, won’t you’.
“I decided I needed to get fit so I jumped in with two feet. As I’m nearly 40, if I was ever going to do a marathon, it was now or never.”
Six months of training followed, along with a decision to raise £1,000 for North Cotswold Foodbank.
On the day, it was by no means plain sailing. “My knee went at mile 5, so it was a long old day on a very hilly route,” said Alex. “One lovely lady saw me struggling and shared her painkillers. But the views were amazing, and the alcohol-free beer they gave us as we crossed the finish line went down very well.”
He completed the 26-miles in a courageous 6hrs 27mins. Ollie, from Tiddington, beat him to it in 5hrs 34 mins. And Alex’s wife, Ellie Lester, truly set the pace in 4hrs 44 mins.
A spokesperson for North Cotswold Foodbank thanked Alex for his support.
The Cotswold Veg Box Company, set up during lockdown, delivers vegetables to households all over the Cotswolds, Vale of Evesham and Wye Valley and works closely with North Cotswold Foodbank. “We have delivered thousands of food packages to families for the North Cotswold Foodbank and have seen what a difference the charity makes to people who have very little so I knew it was a good cause,” said Alex.
If you would like to sponsor Alex, go to his Justgiving page here:
