London Marathon 2006
A Race Report
This
year saw an unbroken run of 17 consecutive London Marathons… I’ve only run 3 times I hasten to
add, the rest were as a spectator and I’ve enjoyed every one in the company of Birchfield
Harriers. Our annual sojourn to the capital saw fewer than normal competing owing to a series of
either illness or injury. This will probably mean extra entries available next year as the regulars
will take advantage of carrying over their entries from this year to 2007! The 6 people who made it
to the starting line were our Vice-Chair for Road Running, Martin Wilkinson; regular women’s team
member, Rachel Cook; Peter Lawton; John Adams; John Summerton and Terry Parker. This was the
finishing order and all of them Masters! There were two others who appear in the results but their
membership isn’t current.
Martin
has been training well and despite niggling injuries later in 2005 has managed to overcome them and
ran well under his expected 3 hours 10 minutes to get a pb. Rachel looked extremely tired as she
passed us on the Embankment at 40k and seemed to be ‘sleeping’. However, a rousing cheer from
our crowd appeared to lift her spirits and hopefully saw her through that last mile to finish just
under 3-11. Peter was running for charity and was reasonably happy with his 3-34 but we all know he
is capable of much more! John “BJ” felt the effects of lack of miles in the bank and was walking
when he passed us. Plenty of abuses hurled at him by us made him perk up and he got going again to
finish in 4-09. Our other John, although in his 70’s, ran solidly to get under the 5 hour mark,
whilst Terry (in his 19th London) finished gamely 10 minutes later.
Tom Morris ∞ 27th April 2006