Twelve Cornwall Athletic Club runners did them selves proud in last weekend’s Flora London Marathon on a very warm day more suited for watching a marathon rather than running in one.

Jon Keast (pictured below), who has been preparing very thoroughly for his second marathon,  led the way for the club, clocking 2 hours 45 minutes 15 seconds and finishing 234^th out of the 35,000 participants.  Not bad for a runner who is still very much a novice at this distance.

New recruit Shaun Tozer was next in with a speedy 2.52.59 and after him came Terry Timms in 3.07 and Dave Angilley in 3.11.22.  Both were a little disappointed with their times but had the satisfaction of achieving automatic entry times for next year’s event.   A relief for Dave as he ran Cardiff in October specifically to get his entry for London, only to find two days before the Cardiff race that he was a week too late to count!

Dave A in action

Helen Pearson suffered in the heat but still ran 3 hours 18 minutes 7 seconds and was the 207th lady home, with  Dave Southby (3.23.34) and Pete Torr (3.25.26) not far behind one of the county’s leading female finishers.  Pete probably stayed out there longer to top up his impressive perma-tan!

Pete 'Tan' Torr

Suzy Bosustow, finishing full of running in 3 hours 35 minutes 25 seconds,  ran superbly and was the 556th lady across the line.  Babs Bannon had a good run too in 3 hours 58 minutes 49 seconds, though she suffered badly late on.  Viv Bray lost a few minutes getting over the start line and with the weather as it was, decided to relax and enjoy the experience, still finishing only just outside four hours in 4 hours 3 minutes 50 seconds.

Babs successfully completes the transition from hurdler and pole vaulter to marathon runner!!

Adrian Ball ran with his brother as he's on the comeback trail and eased around in 4.38.06 and Sam Alexander has got to be pleased with running only 4 mins slower than last year in 5.02.29.

Closer to home, Julia Manning chose the cooler option, competing in the Isles of Scilly in the Tresco Marathon, wher she enjoyed a superb race finishing second in the Ladies open category in a personal best time of 3 hours 48 minutes 33 seconds.  We're hoping to get her to turn out in a few more Grand Prix races this year but she rows for the Cornish champions, Falmouth, so we'll see!

Well done all.  You are not welcome at the track for a week or two (to run that is!).  Relax and enjoy your well earned recoveries.