At the start of 2024, Lauren Keeley had never run back-to-back marathons. By the end of it, she became the first woman to complete the full WeekdayWarrior ladder: five marathons in five weekdays, all while holding down a full-time job. Let that sink in—because it still hasn’t for most of us.
What started as a curious thought—“I’ve never even done two marathons in a week…”—snowballed into a full-on WeekdayWarrior saga. From two to three to four and, finally, five marathons across five consecutive workdays, Lauren didn’t break world records—but she did break through her own mental ceiling. One early morning run, one post-Zoom shuffle, and one increasingly sore ankle at a time.
A Wobbly Start—Literally
Day one kicked off with excitement, fresh legs, and... a sudden meeting with the pavement. Just minutes into her first marathon of the week, Lauren stepped out her front door, took a turn around the block—and immediately wiped out. A classic face-meets-sidewalk moment.
It wasn’t exactly the triumphant start you’d picture for a marathon streak. But in true WeekdayWarrior fashion, she got up, dusted herself off (literally and figuratively), and kept running. That unexpected stumble ended up setting the tone for the week: even when things go sideways, keep moving forward.
Escalation Nation
Lauren’s path to five marathons wasn’t drawn up on a whiteboard months in advance. There was no coach, no Excel sheet tracking VO2 max—just a mix of ambition and escalating curiosity. After finishing the 2-marathon WeekdayWarrior, she figured, “Well, I can try three.” After three came four. After four? The big five.
By the time she decided to attempt five in a row, Lauren knew it would take everything she had—and it did. From early alarms to rearranged work calls to training through tired legs, this challenge was less about perfect planning and more about full-send perseverance.
Training, Treats, and a Dog Named Shoji
To prepare for her five-day test, Lauren ramped up her weekly mileage significantly—often logging 80km weeks, up from her usual 40–50. Her trusty sidekick, Shoji (a slightly greying but forever-spirited dog), joined her for shorter training loops. While he declined to participate in the full marathons—wisely—he remained her fluffiest source of motivation.
Lauren approached the race week like a logistical puzzle. She shifted morning meetings to start later, carved out windows for eating, napping, and stretching, and even mapped recovery meals. Around midweek, a colleague asked suspiciously during a call, “Wait… are you doing that running thing again?” Guilty. Very guilty.
From Ice Cream Highs to Dulwich Park Survival Mode
The first two days were golden. Lauren powered through the streets of London with sunshine overhead, energy in her stride, and, occasionally, a giant ice cream cone in hand. She described the early runs as “playful,” filled with post-run treats and good vibes.
But the mood shifted on Day 3. “Wait—I still have three more of these?” she thought. By Wednesday morning, the challenge turned from fun to focus. Dulwich Park became her survival arena—an endless loop where joy came in smaller doses, like a well-timed croissant or the rhythm of steady footsteps. What saved the day? A friend who showed up unprompted to run alongside her. With fresh legs and even fresher jokes, that short stretch of shared miles brought back laughter, even as Lauren realized, mid-loop, she still had 100km to go.
Soundtrack to a Five-Day Odyssey
One of Lauren’s secret weapons was music. Before the challenge began, she created multiple playlists to carry her through the mental ups and downs. With hours upon hours of solo running ahead, the right song at the right moment became everything.
Her mix ranged wildly—from disco hits to dramatic Cheek to nostalgic early-2000s R&B. Lauren credits this emotional soundtrack for helping her stay present, alert, and, at times, just distracted enough to forget her legs were falling apart. There’s now talk of compiling her “Ultra Running” playlist into a public album—a sonic diary of the highs, lows, and spontaneous mid-run dance breaks.
Little Joys, Big Miles
One self-imposed rule kept Lauren going: every run must include a treat. Whether it was a flaky croissant, a towering ice cream cone, or (on the final day) an emergency pizza sprint, she made joy part of the journey.
The Friday marathon ended in classic Lauren fashion—with her and a friend racing the clock to reach their local pizza spot before it closed. She ran the last few kilometers with a sense of urgency that had less to do with running and more to do with mozzarella. She made it just in time to order, ran back out to finish the marathon, and returned for her victory slice, followed by a bottle of wine and—of course—more ice cream.
The Surreal Reality of the Finish Line
Crossing the metaphorical finish line after five marathons wasn’t cinematic. It was surreal. No crowds. No medals. Just Lauren, her tired legs, and a quiet sense of having done something extraordinary.
Strangely enough, she believed it. Not because it had always felt possible—but because each previous step made the next one feel within reach. Running with her dad as a kid, staying consistent through the years, and building up through earlier WeekdayWarrior challenges created a path she hadn’t seen clearly until she was walking it. Doing two marathons made three seem doable. Four made five feel... inevitable.
Pride, Earned the Hard Way
For Lauren, the biggest takeaway wasn’t the number of kilometers—it was the pride. Not the kind you post for likes or tick off a to-do list, but the deep, internal kind. The kind that becomes increasingly rare as we get older.
Because let’s face it: adult life doesn’t always hand out moments where you feel genuinely proud of yourself. Not just “relieved it’s over” or “happy you survived”—but proud in a way that makes you stand taller. Most of our days are filled with routines, obligations, and invisible wins. But this? This was something else. A line in the sand. A memory to reach back for when confidence wavers.
She didn’t do it for applause. She did it to see what she was made of. And what she found was strength, endurance, and a rare kind of joy that only comes from doing something incredibly hard—and finishing it anyway.
Legacy in Motion
Lauren Keeley didn’t set out to break records. She set out to test herself. And in the process, she became one of the first to complete the full WeekdayWarrior ladder—not just with mileage, but with meaning.
Her story isn’t just about five marathons. It’s about pushing past “I could never” and discovering what happens when you dare to try. It’s about the messy, beautiful combination of playlists, pizza slices, early alarms, and late-night reflection.
And maybe most importantly, it’s about creating one of those rare moments—those exceptionally rare moments—where you feel truly proud of yourself. The kind you’ll remember long after the blisters fade.
Somewhere in London, Shoji is probably curled up in a patch of sunlight, dreaming of easier jogs and post-run treats. And Lauren? She’s walking into the rest of the year with the quiet confidence of someone who knows just how far she can go