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Virgin Money London Marathon & Snowdon Skyrace

This weeks racing has been dominated by the phenomenal experience that is Virgin Money London Marathon. Normally a spring marathon, it has been put back to October for 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic. According to the Race Director it will return to a spring marathon for 2023. Some runners have waited a long time to run this marathon as places were deferred from 2020. Eleven Okehampton RC members headed to London to pound the streets this weekend. Of the eleven seven had qualified for a place based on ‘Good for Age’ times obtained running other marathons. The event was also host to the Wanda World Age Group Championships so those runners all received an additional Age Group Championship medal as well.

Results were as follows:- Karen Vallence 4.00.11, Jo Bradford 4.19.34, Roger Voaden 3.04.26, Andrew vallance 3.04.26, Paul Evison 4.09.44, Paul Carter 3.13.40, Rob Kelly 2.52.46, Neil Agnew 3.46.57, Gary Letheren 4.05.59, Jules Lewis-Thompson 5.57, Graham Bryant (former member with club ballot place) 3.54.59.  If this has inspired you, the 2022 Marathon ballot is open and closes at 2100 on 8th Oct, get your application in.

Coe group runners (L to R) Andrew Vallance, Rob Kelly, Roger Voaden and Paul Carter recuperating after the Marathon

In addition to the mass participation event in London, 40,000 runners pounded the streets around their homes in a Virtual London Marathon. Runners had to download a marathon App which logged their time and distance whilst delivering some much needed virtual crowd support and encouragement. Deemed to be psychologically harder due to the loneliness of a virtual event, four members took on the 26.2 mile task with some amazing results. Louise Lyle 3.46.24, Jessie Guscott 4.55.07, Jane Richardson, 5.54.03 and Clayre Grice 7.28.36

Jane Richardson after her 26.2 mile virtual London Marathon

In a different league from VM London Marathon Gill and Phil Spinny headed to Wales for the Snowdon Skyrace. Gill was running the 40K/25mile race while Phil was part of the mountain safety team. This race included 3150M/10,350ft of accent taking in the Snowdon summit twice. It included scrambles of Y Griin, north ridge Of Tryfan, and Grib Goch. Gill completed the race in excellent time of 4.44.02.