Lloyd Martin: Youngest Runner With Down Syndrome To Finish A Marathon

The 43rd running of the London Marathon saw many records broken, but Lloyd Martin, who is 19 years old, broke one particularly noteworthy record. Martin, who has Down syndrome, was also born with a hole in his heart. He broke the Guinness World Record by finishing the run in 6:46:10, making history as the youngest individual in his disability group to finish a marathon. Martin was coached by his mother, Ceri Hooper, who happens to be a veteran marathoner. 

Martin's Race Towards The Win

Hooper said that his path to breaking the record wasn't an easy one. She claimed that because of his illness, Lloyd's sports teams had turned him away numerous times when he was a little boy.

Martin started running five kilometres at a time in 2021 after having surgery on both of his knees. According to The Daily Mail, the teenager started preparing for the marathon in December under the guidance of his mother, veteran marathoner Ceri Hooper. He started upping his mileage after Christmas, including speed work on the treadmill and weekly long runs to be ready for London.

Although Martin's attempt at 26.2 miles on the Marathon day was his first, he has a history of athletics and has finished more than 30 park runs. The British competitor is a skilled gymnast and soccer player who has represented the Special Olympics in the country. At the British Disability Championships in October of last year, she won the gold medal in the gymnastics vault event.

According to Hooper, Martin's mother, finishing the London Marathon was "achieving his dream," in Lloyd's words. Hooper said that his path to breaking the record wasn't an easy one. She claimed that because of his illness, Lloyd's sports teams had turned him away numerous times when he was a little boy.

Today 19 year old Lloyd Martin became the youngest known person with Down syndrome to complete a marathon.

Thank you for showing us what’s possible, Lloyd. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9jwWATtgCM

— TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 21, 2024

As Martin's mother, Ceri Hooper spoke at various events, she talked about the challenging days of practices that Martin went through, keeping his determination toward his goal along. Speaking of Martin's determination, she said, “He’s been so committed since he first said he said to me ‘let’s do it’ last autumn (2023). It’s been an amazing journey and it’s wonderful to see him thriving in so many different sports and events.”