Jon Strong, a 60-year-old language teacher at Dame Allan's Schools in Newcastle, is set to mark his retirement by completing a unique A-Z marathon challenge that has spanned nearly three decades. His final race will be the Jersey Marathon on October 4, 2026, which he has been unable to run previously because it falls during term time.
Retirement Enables Long-Awaited Final Race
Strong, from Fenham, is a committed environmental campaigner who avoids flying. He said: "I've known about the Jersey Marathon for ages, but because of the ferry schedules there was no way to get there and back for Monday morning school. Retirement finally gives me my big chance to cross the finish line."
He began the alphabetical marathon challenge in 2014 as a way of combining his love of running and travel, choosing races based on location and curiosity as much as competition. The journey has taken him from major city marathons in Venice and Rotterdam to smaller events such as the X-ray Marathon in Germany and the Quixote Marathon in Spain.
25 Races Completed with Personal Best of 2:58
Strong has completed 25 races, most under 3 hours 30 minutes, with a personal best of 2 hours 58 minutes at the York Marathon in 2014. His alphabetical list includes: A - Abingdon (2019, 3:16), B - Brighton (2022, 3:23), C - Chester (2017, 3:03), D - Dorchester (2018, 3:25), E - Edinburgh (2014, 3:07), F - Fewston Yorkshire (2019, 3:32), G - Ghent (2026, 3:06), H - Hever Castle (2018, 3:56), I - Isle of Man (2022, 3:36), J - Jersey (final race), K - Kielder (2018, 3:25), L - London (2017, 3:09), M - Manchester (2017, 3:05), N - Nottingham (2018, 3:21), O - Oulton Park Cheshire (2023, 3:23), P - Preston (2018, 3:13), Q - Quixote Spain (2025, 3:12), R - Rotterdam (2019, 3:26), S - Stirling (2019, 3:11), T - Tours France (2023, 3:21), U - Utrecht (2023, 3:30), V - Venice (2022, 3:29), W - Wales (2019, 3:31), X - X-ray Germany (2024, 3:42), Y - York (2014, 2:58), Z - Zurich (2025, 3:11).
Teaching Career and Impact on Languages
Strong joined the school in 1998 to teach French and German. In 2002, he introduced Spanish to the curriculum and later became Head of Modern Languages, helping to grow the subject at a time when language uptake had declined nationally. He said: "Languages are no longer compulsory nationally, so we've had to make them attractive and accessible. They need to be fun. If you can engage them, teenagers are highly appreciative and wonderful company."
He also taught both his children during their time at school: Maria studied Spanish GCSE and Alex studied French at A Level. He said: "Teaching my own children was a massive personal highlight. Not many parents get to see their teenagers beyond the school gates. They found my sense of dress and my jokes a bit embarrassing but they were happy to let me teach them."
Tribute from School Principal
Principal of Dame Allan's Schools, Will Scott, paid tribute: "Jon has been part of the fabric of Dame Allan's for nearly 30 years. He has helped shape the modern languages offer, brought real energy to his teaching and inspired generations of pupils to engage with languages in a way that is lively, relevant and enjoyable." He added: "He is as well known for his brilliant classroom teaching as he is for those countless twilight laps of the school field. We are hugely grateful for his dedication and the entire Allanian community wishes him the very best of luck as he completes his final milestone in Jersey."
