events round-up

Andrew Lawrence in his London Marathon outfit

London Marathon
 
The over 55,000 finishers in Sunday’s London Marathon also included one carefully-costumed lobster intent on breaking a world record.
 
For experienced marathon runner and Morpeth Harrier Andrew Lawrence, the 26.2 miles clearly weren’t enough of a challenge, so, with a few weeks to go and feeling his fitness ‘not quite where I wanted it to be’, Andy decided to have a go at the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon - dressed as a crustacean.
 
With the existing record well over the three-hour mark – and the only real competition coming, apparently, from another fellow crustacean, but this one a giant shrimp – Andrew lined up in a bright red head to toe costume, with giant claws and red shoes to match.
 
Temperatures well above the twenty degree mark made the race even more challenging for all taking part, but he could at least quip, ‘I’m used to being boiled!’
 
Crossing the line in a time of 2 hours 49 minutes and 22 seconds in 1.377th place meant that, subject to ratification by the team at Guinness World Records, Andrew took well over 20 minutes off the previous record, still finishing in a time many more sensibly clad runners of all persuasions could only dream of.
 
The race itself was won by Kenyan Sebastian Sawe in a time of 2:02:27 with Ethiopian Tigst Assefa breaking the Women’s only World Record for the distance of 2:15:50.
 
Also running in the Elite Men’s field was Carl Avery, who finished in 25th place overall in an excellent time of 2:23:19.
 
New signing Matthew Gibbard finished in 2:54:02 for 1832nd place.
 
Running in the previous day’s mini-marathon was teenager Heidi Wilkinson, who finished very creditably 22nd overall but 1st from the North East.

 
Manchester Marathon
 
Taking place the same weekend was the Manchester Marathon, won by Josh Griffiths of Swansea Harriers in 2:16:56 with Tessa Mccormick of Vale Royal winning the Women’s race in 2:34: 53.
 
Morpeth’s Laura Mclean was 9th woman home in 3:41:49.
 
Run Through Quayside 5k
 
Wednesday 24 April saw the Spring 5k, organised by Run Through, with a 3k curtain-raiser also attracting a decent field in conditions a bit chillier than expected with a bit of head wind on the way back East along the river.

U/17 Alfie Cook was 1st back in the 3k in 9:04 and Emma Blackburn 1st female home in 10:36.
 
Morpeth’s Heidi Wilkinson was 2nd U/13 in 11:18, only a few seconds behind Poppie Phillipson (11:07). Zoe Tomlinson was 3rd in the same category in 11:48, and Emma 3rd U/15 in 12:16.
 
14th overall, Mason Gaylor was 1st U/13 in 10:34 and Oliver Tomlinson 5th U/17 in 9:30.  
 
The 5k A  race attracted a field of just under 20 minutes, and, carrying on from where he’d left off at Elswick’s Good Friday Relays, was won by Gateshead’s Calum Johnson in a time of 14:06, with NE Project’s Joseph Wilson some 45 seconds back in 2nd and Western Tempo’s Luke Davis 3rd (14:52).
 
First woman home was Elswick’s Sophie Pikett, like Johnson a winner on Good Friday, in 16:22 with Birtley’s Lydia Turner 2nd (16:37) and unattached O/35 Kate Maltby 3rd (16:54).
 
There were no less than fourteen blue and white vests on show in the A race also, with James Tilley, back for Easter from university, having a fine run to come home 6th in 14:54, with Sam Hancox also making the top ten, 8th in 15:20.
 
Dan Melling was 15th in 15:48, Matty Walton 16th in 15:48, Rob Balmbra 19th and 5th O/35 in 15:54, Dave Stabler 68th and 6th O/45 in 16:58, Tom Innes 74th in 17:08, John Butters 85th and 4th O/50 in 17:19, James Dixon 86th and 7th O/40 in 17:18, Jake Parmley 103rd in 17:35, Shaun Land 113th in 17:54, Alistair Macdonald 178th and 4th O/60 in 19:53, Tabby Robson 185th and 3rd U/20 in 20:00 and Gavin Bayne 192nd and 1st O/65 in 20:14.
 
Tom Simms won the B race – for runners over 20 minutes! – in 17:57 with Polly Moreland 1st female home in 19:28.
 
Margaret Macdonald was 303rd and 6th O/60 in 28:11.