Austinn Lane, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

For most, 42 kilometres is a distance best covered by car but, for Tom Nelligan, it’s a way of life.

The 38-year-old Moonta runner is gearing up for his 11th marathon, set to take on the London Marathon at the end of April.

With years of long-distance running behind him, Nelligan continues to push his limits on the world stage.

“I try to get three months of fully focused training in before a marathon,” Nelligan said.

“The focus is normally slow-paced runs and lots of interval training.”

In addition to training, food is a big part of preparing for a marathon. 

“You need to have plenty of calories — you can almost eat whatever you like because you will burn them while training and during the race,” he said.

Nelligan is no stranger to the marathon circuit, having previously competed in Stockholm, Tokyo and New York, as well as numerous events across Australia.

In addition to full marathons, he has also tested his endurance in four half-marathons, each covering 21 kilometres.

“My favourite so far is New York, it starts early in the morning but you run past areas of nightlife, the scenery stood out,” he said.

“There was a constant crowd around you and people always cheering in New York, it was amazing.”

Nelligan has his sights set on completing the Seven Wonders of the Marathon World, which includes Boston, New York, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Sydney and Chicago.

With several of these already under his belt, the London Marathon will bring him one step closer to achieving this elite milestone.

“My first marathon was Sydney in 2010, but it wasn’t on the Seven Wonders list at the time, so it doesn’t qualify,” he said.

“Boston and Chicago require some more qualifications to get into, but they are two I would love to compete in.”

Beyond the Seven Wonders, Nelligan has set his sights on an even bigger challenge — running a marathon on every continent and in every Australian state.

So far, he has conquered marathons in Australasia, North America, Asia and Europe, with more destinations on his radar.

“There are certain marathons I’d love to do, like Nepal and Bhutan, purely for the scenery,” he said.

“I love running marathons, and I love to travel, so why not combine the two?

“I did one in Perth in October 2024 and I have one eyed off in Cairns in July 2025, they will knock out two other states.”

Nelligan has already taken on marathons in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Townsville, adding to his impressive list of achievements.

With London fast approaching, he is in full training mode, eagerly preparing for his next big challenge on the world stage.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 1 April 2025.