On 14th April, Winchester Running Club took to the streets of Manchester to test themselves against the 26.2-mile pursuit that is the marathon. Conditions couldn’t have been better with a clear, bright morning. We had seven runners heading out to see the sites of the city, which include Old Trafford, Whalley, Stretford, Sale, Altrincham, Timperley, Sale Moor and then back into the city centre.
The 8 WRC representatives arrived at Old Trafford raring to go, with some taking club kit a little bit further than others (the only thing George and Magnus didn’t perhaps match was their shorts and socks!). After a small warm-up, drills, hugs and well wishes, our runners headed to their start pens, confident in their training and themselves and ready to get the much-anticipated race underway.
The course was exceptionally well supported, with many club supporters accompanied by cowbells and their loudest cheering voices dotted around the route, including at miles 9 / 10, 16-18, 23 and, of course, the finish line! Everyone looked fantastically strong, with their true grit and determination beginning to show through towards the back end of the race. The results showed the dedication the team have put in over the last few months. I’m not sure many had a long run without grizzling rain!
- George Belfield – 2:38:17 – a 2 minute 45 second PB
- Magnus Gregory – 2:44:18 (debut)
- Andrew Costello – 2:51:23 – a 6 minute 47 second PB
- James Bewley – 2:57:31
- Richard Bidgood – 2:57:31
- Sarah Gurney – 2:58:30
- Sarah Shedden – 3:00:07 – an 8 minute 23 second PB
- John Mills – 3:40:15 – a 32 minute and 15 second PB
- Steve Goodwin – 5:28:46 (running his 123 marathon)
A special shout-out to both James and Richard for their efforts. Running a sub 3, dressed as a caterpillar, alongside four other local runners cannot be easy, but they did it, and they smashed their £10,000 fundraising target to provide further support and awareness for MNDA in memory of Phil Rossall. You can donate here: