From binge-drinking and chain-smoking to becoming England’s marathon man, the story of Steve Way

While excessive drinking and smoking are not associated with long-distance running, the story of how Steve Way managed to turn his life around and become a marathon man is very inspiring.

In 2007, Steve Way weighed 105 kgs. He was on the booze every single day, smoked down 20 cigarettes a day, loved munching kebabs, and was getting fatter and weaker with time. Wheezing in bed, and a constant burden on his wife and his loved ones, Way was getting tired of life.

Going from that version of him to finishing 10^th for England in the Commonwealth Games marathon in 2014 at the age of 40 is not only a tale of defiance, but also an inspiring story of how relentless focus and a commitment to turn things around can help someone achieve what they previously thought impossible.

"I didn't really take any interest in sport at school," Way, from Poole in Dorset, told BBC Sport before the event. "I was pretty good at maths and physics, a bit of a geek. But I also enjoyed myself quite a lot in my twenties.

"There was quite a lot of drinking, quite a lot of smoking and quite a lot of late-night kebabs after nights out with the boys in Bournemouth.

"The big change came when I was 33, in September 2007. I was at my heaviest, about 16-and-a-half stone, and I was smoking about 20 cigarettes a day. I'd have sleepless nights because of the coughing. It wasn't pleasant,” said Way.

Way further claimed that it wasn’t really an epiphany that forced him to turn things around but a constant feeling of not liking the person he saw in the mirror. Although he says he wasn’t clinically depressed, Way admits that he did feel tired of life and there was nothing exciting to look forward to, no goals to accomplish.

"I'd be lying if I said I had an epiphany but I didn't like the person I saw in the mirror in the morning and I do remember the emotion I felt, the feeling that 'right, I've really got to do something, make some changes'.

"I wasn't clinically depressed but I was just moseying from one day to the next. I had no goals in life. There was nothing going on to get me excited.

"I needed to find something I could focus all my attention on that was going to help me lose weight and keep me off the cigarettes. In order to bury your vices you need to find an equal and opposite addiction. You need to find a passion."

It will be unjust to claim that he had no talent in long-distance running and suddenly got good at it after deciding to change his life. Even before that fateful day in September 2007, Way participated in the 2006 London Marathon and trained for three weeks. He finished it in a little over three hours but instead of sticking to his running shoes, he went back to his usual habits.

What’s even more impressive about his fortitude and talent is the fact that Way manages to seamlessly combine both running along with a 9-5 job.

"Running is a choice, not my job," says Way. "At the start of this journey I had a well-paid IT career but the hours didn't fit in with my training. So I changed jobs, took a considerable pay cut and made sacrifices.

"I have to be a little bit selfish - the training takes up a lot of my time. When I got married I wasn't the person I am now, but my wife Sarah is so supportive. She sees how happy it makes me and the passion it's brought us as a couple."

When asked whether he regrets not taking up running earlier, he says he is enjoying himself in the present.

"I don't regret going out and enjoying myself. I now have the best of both worlds. I still have an enjoyable social life, although it no longer involves going out clubbing on Friday and Saturday nights, but I also have passion and excitement in my life."