Edinburgh man turns life around after ‘partying every day for years’

An Edinburgh man has spoken out after swapping booze for running, which he says has transformed his life.

In his early twenties, Mark Baxter, 33, worked as a holiday rep for three years, which led to him going out drinking most nights. Between 2016 and 2020, he adopted a “lifestyle of non-stop partying” and was “riddled with anxiety” – until the pandemic hit.

Lockdown forced the Portobello man to return to Edinburgh and with it the party ended. A switch was flicked in Mark’s mind and he knew he needed a change. Once he laced up his running shoes, he found solace and a new positive mindset with every step.

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After giving up alcohol two years ago, along with his new job as a running coach, Mark said he found more confidence in himself and became a happier person.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Mark said: “After being forced to stay at home during the pandemic, I started running to shift my focus to something more positive rather than the non-stop partying lifestyle I lived from 2016 to 2020.

“I now have more structure to my life, I feel much more sociable, less anxious, more confident and a happier person overall. I often get compliments from people around me on how positive I am. This is another reason I stopped drinking and I’ve been sober for over two years now.

“At first, I thought it might have been too much of a sudden jump to go from drinking every day to not drinking at all, but it wasn’t. When I weighed up the pros and cons of drinking, I asked myself why I hadn’t made the change sooner, and why I’d been doing it for so long.”

With less time in nightclubs and more time on the track, Mark has started competing in marathons around the world and has his sights set on the New York City Marathon in November.

He added: “After falling in love with the sport of running, having great success in races around the world and seeing the hugely positive impact it had on my life, I decided to start my own business as a running coach. This has allowed me to stay focused and channel my energy into helping others make the right choices in their own lives and help them progress and achieve their running goals, whatever they may be.

“As a coach, I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I help others who may have been in a similar situation to me in the past, and they thank me for helping them turn over a new leaf in their lives and reach their full potential, both physically and mentally.

“My clients currently range in age from 18 to 65 and they all have different goals, aspirations and lifestyle commitments, so I work around that and ensure each of their training plans is tailored to their needs. My life, along with the lives of my clients, has changed for the better in so many ways.

“The most challenging part is seeing my clients occasionally slip up and miss a session or two in their training plan due to a night of drinking. So I have to try to change their mindset and help them see the impact this has on them from a motivational and performance perspective. My solution to combat this is to continue to inspire them. Show them through my own story what heights you can reach as a person when you put your mind to it and stay focused on the goals you set.”

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Despite fracturing his hip earlier this year while running, Mark is determined to stay fit and compete in marathons again. As he recovers, he continues to run sessions and has not let the injury hold him back.

“I now feel more motivated and determined than ever to set and achieve new goals in my life, introduce more people to running and help others in any way I can,” he added.

“It only takes one person to light a match for a fire to spread, and I am that person who hopes to spread that positivity through fitness, encouragement and discipline in my running training.

“To anyone thinking about sobriety, I would say, ‘Try it!’ Start with a few weeks without alcohol, then set small goals to see if you can go longer. Try four weeks next time, and so on. Small goals are just as important, if not more important, than the final goal, and allow you to see your progress and how good you feel.

“I’d say the first few months are the hardest hurdles, but once you get used to not having that, along with the feeling that running makes you feel, it won’t be long before you wonder why you didn’t stop sooner, just like I did.”

To follow Mark’s journey or if you are interested in his training, you can find him on Instagram onyourmarksrunningtraining.