Gary Rowett will be leading Birmingham City in their relegation battle today, and running the London Marathon tomorrow.

While other managers caught in the Championship relegation battle are likely to spend Sunday unwinding and relieving stress, interim Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett will tackle a much more demanding challenge. Despite recently turning 50, Rowett will participate in the London Marathon for the fourth time, opting for a grueling 26.2-mile run on his day off.

“For my sins, on my day off, I shall be running 26.2 miles and then I’ll be in the next day,” he remarked. Despite the marathon’s demands, Rowett remains focused on the game and views the marathon as a commitment he made before taking on his managerial role at Birmingham City. He considers the experience to be rewarding and looks forward to the challenge ahead.

Rowett, an avid runner who has become an experienced marathon participant, completed the London Marathon alongside his daughter last year, finishing in four hours and 13 minutes, a slight improvement from his time of just over four hours in 2022 when he was unemployed and able to train more. He expressed uncertainty about whether the stress of his current job would affect his performance.

Despite the challenges, he finds the marathon experience immensely enjoyable due to the support from spectators and recommends it to others, albeit jokingly calling them “stupid enough” to attempt it. His passion for marathons began in 2016 when he ran his first London Marathon in support of Liam’s Smiles, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and funds for meningitis, founded by former Blues goalkeeper Colin Doyle and his wife Becky.

“I initially ran the marathon to support Colin Doyle and his wife in their efforts to help their child, and that’s how it all began. Now, nine years later, I find myself doing it again. It’s been quite a journey. Last year, during the race, I even had a Millwall fan heckling me halfway through because of our team’s poor performance at the time. I had to remind them, ‘I’m 16 miles in, cut me some slack!'”

Rowett faces a tight schedule with Blues playing in Rotherham today after their recent win over Coventry. Let’s hope he doesn’t have to dwell on any disappointing results during his marathon run. He mentioned, “It’s all about the game and preparation for it. Afterward, instead of heading home, I’ll drive back to London and stay there.

I’ll run the marathon the next day and be back in on Monday, simple as that. Like anyone, I prioritize personal activities in my own time, and running the marathon is something I’ve enjoyed over the years. It’s a fantastic event with people participating for various reasons.”