Whanganui man Steven McLeod completes Berlin marathon

Steven McLeod after completing the Berlin Marathon last weekend.

It was the tick off the bucket list for expat Whanganui man Steven McLeod when he completed the 2018 BMW Berlin Marathon last weekend.

Now based in Toronto where he works as a computer graphic designer, the 39-year-old had his name drawn out of a public ballot to enter the 42.195km road race through the city.

McLeod, who was a rugby winger and softball player in his younger days in Whanganui, then undertook a 20 week crash course in marathon training, having previously preferred sports with short distance sprints.

"He's never run anything like this before, it's just something he wanted to do," said mother Jennifer McLeod.

Out of the 61390 participants, of which 44389 were runners, McLeod was one of the 40775 to go the distance.

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Mrs McLeod was not sure if her son will attempt another international class marathon.

"When I spoke to him the term was, 'I've been there, I've done it'."

Berlin is one of the six major city marathons in the world, along with of Tokyo, Boston, London, Chicago and New York.

McLeod attended Okoia School and was later prefect at Wanganui City College, completing an Honours degree in computer graphic design at UCOL Whanganui.

As well as local club rugby for Marist, he later played for the New York Rugby Club and Toronto Scottish Rugby club.