All 21 UK towns and cities I've just run a marathon in ranked – Stoke surprised me
EXCLUSIVE: A man who completed 21 marathons all over the UK between August and May has revealed what he made of each town and city he ran through.
When visiting somewhere new, whether that be in the UK or further afield, we all have our favourite things to do in order to get a feel of the place. For some that might be booking a tour guide for clued up commentary on landmarks and historical sites. Others may opt to eat and drink their way around.
Then there is Mitch Jones who in an extraordinary bid to raise money for charity, decided to run a marathon before every away match Portsmouth played throughout the 2025/26 season. With the exception of two trips ruled out of due to work, Mitch completed his mammoth undertaking in early May having racked up 550 miles on foot across England and Wales' lesser raved about locations.
Setting off from the stadium of each Championship club several hours before kick off, Mitch, 32, would run an often unplanned 26.2 mile loop ending just in time to endure 90 minutes from the stands. Despite a handful of clubs sharing the same city, the electrician from Portsmouth, Hampshire, made sure he avoided re-tracing his steps and instead ventured into pastures new.
Raising £6,000 for Portsmouth in the Community, Mitch told the Express how exploring the country one football match at a time revealed the 'best Britain has to offer'.
He said: "The challenge was breath of fresh air, getting to experience a season of away days with nothing but a pair of running shoes and a questionable mental state. I saw the best of what the UK has to offer. I met brilliant and interesting people in every corner of the country. Except for Southampton.
"I didn't run at Norwich and Middlesbrough due to work commitments, but I substituted these for marathons around Edinburgh and Portsmouth. Both fantastic cities."
21. Southampton
"For pretty obvious reasons I am far from the biggest fan of Hampshire's inferior of the two coastal cities. What shame Spygate means I'll have to return again next season."
20. Birmingham
"As you get close to St Andrew's there are so many chopped up cars about. I've now seen evidence of all those horror stories of people coming back from away days to find their car in pieces."
19. West Brom
"I found the actual area of West Brom to be not so bad. However unfortunately there's just so much rubbish left out, especially as you get towards Aston."
18. Coventry
"Lovely day for a run. The day we achieved safety too. However I found this one so hard. I love running in the sun but I found even this too hot towards the end. I also had the feeling throughout of 'we're basically safe, season's over, so why am I still running?'"
17. Swansea
"I feel a bit bad putting Swansea so low because I did run with a couple of locals in which I enjoyed. However once they left me after 10 miles I was on my own in the rain, wind and dark. In December. Midweek too. And we lost. And the bridge was shut."
16. Bristol
"Got a lot of time for the Isembard suspension bridge. However I found the people of Bristol, once I got into the town centre, to be quite rude. Which dampened my experience a bit. Nothing to do with the fact we lost 5-0."
15. Hull
"I enjoyed this one a lot because my mate Paul paced me to a PB of 3.50. The Humber bridge was really cool to run across in the fog, however after seeing the town centre I don't know how it ever won European Capital of Culture 2017."
14. Derby
"I spent most of this one running along canals similar to Leicester, however Derby town centre seemed pretty dead and small in comparison."
13. Leicester
"Bit of a boring run south along the canal for 10 miles before turning back and running towards the city. The city centre itself was alright with a lot going on. But I was dead on my feet by the time I got there."
12. Ipswich
"I ran this one with a few Ipswich fans who were absolutely sound. They made it much more enjoyable than it would have been. Pretty small town with not much character otherwise."
11. Millwall
"I ran from the north of London by Wembley, to The Den. Took in a lot of the sights. But it's central London isn't it, nothing too exciting."
10. Charlton
"I might have ranked it a bit higher, running around Greenwich and 'The City.' But I spent most of this run in the dark."
8 & 9. Sheffield
"Overall, United is the worse half of the city compared to Wednesday. I definitely preferred the Wednesday half of Sheffield. The architecture is more interesting and it's home to the best fish and chip shop I've ever been to. Overall, the people of Sheffield are so sound."
7. Blackburn
"The wildest of the runs. Took me along some winding country roads and some extreme elevation. My total ascent matched that of England's tallest mountain."
6. Stoke
"A bit of a surprise one, running along the canal to a nature reserve to the north of the city. Finished off the run joined by a few lads dressed as bananas. Helped that this was my favourite away of the season overall with the party atmosphere in the ground."
5. QPR
"Bit of a different one running around West London. Ticked off a few grounds too, including Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham, Wimbledon and of course QPR. Finished off with a pint at the top of the old BBC studios in stunning March sunshine."
4. Watford
"I've always loved the town of Watford. Nice size and suitably lively. My marathon took me to St Albans where I stopped off for a pint in England's oldest pub. Would do it again."
3. Wrexham
"I started in Chester with my mate Alex. Lovely city with a cool racetrack which we ran alongside. The country road towards Wrexham took me past the Welsh FA and once I reached Wrexham I was surprised to find a charming town, nice and compact. Would have made a great away day to train to."
2. Preston
"I ran an unbroken cycle path loop of the city known as the Guild Wheel which took me through some stunning countryside. The fact that I didn't have to navigate was a huge positive."
1. Oxford
"Takes top primarily because it was the first game of the season. The sun was beaming and I was full of hope and excitement. The university buildings made a lovely backdrop and the narrow streams with people punting was a nice novelty. And I ran it with my pal and Daily Express's very own Charles."
