Dave Pullin, from Bedworth, Warwickshire started his running journey in school, before taking part in half marathons from 2015.
He has run in the Special Olympics in Birmingham, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m.
Pullin challenged himself to cover 30km (18.6 miles) each month from his 29th birthday until his 30th birthday in June, to raise money in memory of his mum Marcia, who died from cancer in 2022.
Pullin hopes to run his first full marathon next year, but said he loved completing half marathons.
He recommended carb-loading the week before a race, and doing shorter runs in the lead-up to the actual event.
“The 5ks and 10ks, a lot of people don’t use energy gels… but in half marathons I would recommend it, I would recommend using them in your training… and then usually take one every 20 minutes for a half marathon,” he said.
Pullin said visualising the finish line helped when things get tough.
“Even if they don’t get a fast time, just completing it, they should be so proud of themselves,” he said.
“In big races like the Coventry Half and like the London Marathon… the crowd will keep you going.
“I’ve got a saying, and it is that ‘every stride tells a story’… so every footstep a person takes in the race, that tells a little bit more of their story.
“When they reach that finish line, that is the end of their story… they’ve done what they wanted to do.”