Southwell Running Club
London – Cornwall - Chicago
Members of Southwell Running Club definitely like to explore their options when it comes to choices for races. The London Marathon is a popular choice for many runners but entry via the main ballot is almost impossible so having gained a very good time on Milton Keynes marathon last year, Ben Parker entered the London Good for Age ballot and secured a place.
Following months of training, Ben arrived at the start line on good form. With perfect running conditions and the cheering crowds Ben had a great time running the marathon finishing in 3:23:10. Club members Andy Thorne and Richard Whitehead also completed the marathon. Paralympian Richard is a double amputee who runs with prosthetic legs and frequently sets world records for double amputee athletes. He completed this year’s London marathon in a time of 3:48:20 while Andy finished in 3:58:53.
Taking a trip further southwest, Kat Hall took on the Atlantic Coast Challenge with friend Karen Nix, to raise funds for the John Eastwood Hospice. Participants run, walk or crawl a total of 78.6 miles over 3 days along some of the wildest coastlines in Britain beginning in Padstow and finishing at Land’s End.
Finally, Carol Hayward decided to travel overseas for her marathon adventure. Gaining a Good for Age place for the Chicago marathon led to months of gruelling training but Carol arrived at the start line feeling strong and ready for the challenge. The windy city can have unpredictable weather but the day dawned bright, clear and cool with perfect race conditions. The flat course combined with amazing crowd support allowed Carol to achieve a 13-minute marathon PB in a time of 4:28:01.
If you are planning on running a marathon and need support for your training, join us on Tuesday/Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings.
Ruby Runner