ABP Southampton Marathon: DJ to take on race 44 years later

Jon Vamplew, who used to volunteer as a host for the city-wide event, has completed 22 marathons overall in his life.

Together with his wife Eleanor, he will tackle the half marathon this time out - 44 years after running his first full race in Winchester in 1981.

Jon explained that he was originally inspired to run a marathon after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Eastleigh.

“A car pulled across me and I fractured my wrist and knee,” he explained.

Jon Vamplew before the ABP Southampton Marathon in 2022. (Image: Jon Vamplew) “I started getting better, fit to run and out came the London Marathon. I couldn’t get into the London so I went into the Winchester Marathon, and then the first Southampton Marathon.”

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Jon used to race with the likes of Kriss Akabusi, though his motorcycle accident ended his time as a track runner.

“I started running to work because I lived in Eastleigh and worked in Bitterne Park,” he said.

“So I used to run part of the marathon track every day when I ran to work, I could tell you blind folded where the drains are.”

Jon will be running in his tenth Southampton Marathon this weekend, though on reflection, he thinks that last year’s race was the hardest he had ever faced.

Jon Vamplew running in the ABP Southampton Marathon and hosting the event. (Image: Jon Vamplew) “It was 55 mph gusting winds,” he said.

“On the first lap it was fine because you were hidden behind people, on the second lap we were going on Weston Shore running sideways to avoid the wind, and over the Itchen Bridge.

“The wind was just battering. I’ve done South Downs, I’ve done London, but that was probably the hardest one. I saw someone get blown over at the bottom of Southampton.”

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Three others from Jon’s running club the Halterworth Harriers will be running in the event, which he previously hosted.

Jon Vamplew's tshirt for this year's ABP Southampton Marathon. (Image: Jon Vamplew) In 2017, he ran the full race, had a shower and then went on stage for two and a half hours to cheer other people on as they approached the final straight.

Jon explained that he, quite literally, likes to get stuck in.

"I belong to running clubs and like to get a bit of mud," he said.

"Most people try to avoid it but I try to aim for it."