Nine members of Frome Running Club completed marathons in April. Six runners tackled the Gwent levels of the Newport Marathon, and three raced in the iconic London event.
In Newport, Michael Gorman’s time (3:10) earned him a PB, but a St John’s medical tent was required to revive him after the finishing post. Following a sugar and salt, he was right as rain. Paul Horton was next to finish, his PB of 3:12 placing him third in the men’s 60-65 category. Sam Baraud finished with a PB of 3:25, followed by Keith Vance (PB of 3:32), Ian Holmes (3:36) and Clare Dunning (PB of 4:12).
“I knocked six minutes off my PB!” Keith Vance enthused. “I was going strong until my calf tightened during the last three miles. I couldn’t resist speeding up for the final 200m, but I cramped and hobbled over the line with the grandstands cheering me on.”
Clare Dunning beat her previous best by 37 minutes. “I had nagging hip pain and a stitch, but I stuck to my planned walking breaks and kept upbeat throughout.”
In the London Marathon, first down The Mall was Poppy Burton-Morgan (PB: 3:22), followed by Ellie Burford (3:59), and Barrie Knight (PB of 4:52; placing 85th in the men’s 70-74 category).
“I did London a few years ago and really pushed it. This time I wanted to remain sub-four hours, but I also wanted to enjoy it. I ran on feel, savouring the atmosphere. I only looked at my watch in the last two miles. I did it by the skin of my teeth!”
Frome Running Club offers both off and on-road training to marathoners and non-marathoners alike. The club welcomes new members, whatever the ability. For more details, visit www.fromerunningclub.co.uk.
