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For Tyler, running the London Marathon isn’t about chasing a medal or ticking off a bucket-list race. It’s about purpose, progress, and proving what’s possible—both for himself and for others living with Crohn’s & Colitis.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be following Tyler’s journey as he trains for the London Marathon 2026, sharing the learnings, challenges, and milestones along the way.
Meet Tyler
"I'm Tyler, I'm 30 years of age now. I'm from Leicester and I'm a barber and I appeared on the BBC One show The Traitors. And yeah, I'm running the London Marathon in 2026."
Tyler is running for Crohn’s & Colitis UK, a charity that’s close to his heart.
"I'm running it for the charity very close to me, Crohn's and Colitis UK. One, because obviously I suffer from Colitis - It has been 10 years now since I got first diagnosed."
"So I'm looking to raise as much money as I can for this charity because they've done so much for me and obviously the more money I've raised could go to vital research and hopefully find a cure for it. At the minute there's not a cure to get rid of Crohn's and Colitis."
Why the London Marathon?
"So, I’ve never been like ‘a proper runner’. The furthest I ever ran was a 5k, which was during COVID time. But I’ve always wanted to do the London Marathon."
"My dad ran it in 2000 and I remember always thinking I'd love to do that one day but I could never do it just to say I've done it and I've got a medal around my neck. Like I said I want to do it for a reason."
"So, obviously the past 10 years I've had colitis and thought, you know what, if I could run the London Marathon, the biggest marathon I could think of in this country, to raise as much money as I can for the charity, I thought, you know what, even though I'll put my body through a lot of suffering, I thought, you know, let's do it and let's raise as money as we can."
"Because that's the only thing that would get me through it is, I know I'm raising the money."
How the Opportunity Came About
"Crohn’s & Colitis UK reached out and said they had charity places available and asked if I’d be open to applying. I said yeah, I’ll apply and see what happens. At that point I wasn’t even training or anything."
"They came back and said they’d love to offer me a charity place for the London Marathon, which I was amazed by anyway. I was just going to do the marathon on a charity place."
"Then Crohn’s & Colitis got in touch and said they thought I should put myself forward for a celebrity place. They did everything for me—they put me forward and handled the whole process."
"After that, they came back and said they wanted to offer me a celebrity place. I said yeah, and that’s how it happened."
"But I’ll be honest—I would never have done the marathon just for the sake of running it. I know some people can do that, and you don’t have to run for charity, but I don’t think I’d have been able to get through the training without that motivation. I needed that goal."
Learning How to Train
Training for a marathon has been a steep learning curve—especially while managing colitis.
"Colitis affects everyone differently, and each person’s experience can vary. So with me, I do struggle a lot with fatigue at times."
"So I've got to be careful I don't burn myself out too much. I'm making sure I'm getting the right food in, food with plenty of carbs and I'm making sure I'm getting plenty of rest as well."
"At the start, I was just running from my house and back, and I started getting cramps and stuff. I thought, ‘No, this isn’t right.’"
"What I’ve learned is to run out and then walk back home, with little stretches here and there. Actually, that walk has really helped me."
Another big adjustment has been understanding nutrition and pacing.
"I honestly didn’t realise how much goes into marathon training. There’s so much to consider: nutrition, getting enough rest, and making sure you don’t push too hard too soon — it’s all about finding a good balance."
"I did a 10k race in November, just last month, and that was a real eye-opener for me. It showed me not to start too fast and the importance of balancing my pace."
Visiting Run4It: Getting the Right Gear
One of the biggest turning points in Tyler’s journey came during his visit to Run4It.
"Going to Run4It was a real eye-opener about how important trainers are. If you’re coming from more of a casual sports background, like me, you tend to pick shoes like you would football boots — the ones that look the best."
"When I went for the gait analysis and tried different trainers on the treadmill, it really highlighted how crucial the right shoes are."
"The first pair I tried looked okay, but when I got on the treadmill, the screen showed that my running form would suit certain type of shoes more than others. I was putting too much weight on one leg, which could have caused a lot of pain during a marathon."
"Then I tried another pair — Simon suggested them — and suddenly my whole body alignment was much better. My legs were in a straight line, and I felt no pain at all while running."
"It really showed me how much difference the right trainers can make."
Tyler also learned that comfort and enjoyment are just as important as performance.
Milestones Along the Way
"So far, every week I run, I’m running the furthest I’ve ever run. I never ran before, so the furthest I’ve done so far is 18k."
"My first ever race as well—that was massive. I did my first-ever 10k race, and I’d never done anything like that before."
"I’ve also said to myself that you’re not always going to be as good as you were the week before. Sometimes you won’t be as quick, and that’s okay. I’ve just got it into my head to keep going—you’ll improve as you go on."
Why He’s Doing It
"I want to inspire people who are suffering with Crohn’s & Colitis, and show them that you can push yourself to boundaries you didn’t think you could."
"If you put your mind to it and get into the right mindset, you can do it."
"Running makes me feel amazing. I never knew I’d have this feeling—it just feels so good when I’m out on a run. I’m improving my fitness, which makes me feel great. I’m bettering myself."
"And running helps with the illness too. You’re making your body healthier, and that can make you feel better overall."
If you’d like to support Tyler, you can donate using the link below:
https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/tyler-smith-6a0cb
