Cotswold Marathon - 20th March 2011
This was the 2nd year of the Cotswold Marathon and this time the organisers decided to run the tough 3 lap course in the opposite direction for safety reasons. Unbeknown to most taking part, this actually made the course a lot tougher because of the start line being moved to the opposite side of the lap.
Steve Edwards, running in his 522nd marathon, found that after the 1st lap he had to admit he didn't feel his best as he seemed to be having to work hard every mile just to maintain his normal pace. However, seeing some friendly Bourton Roadrunners support around the course certainly did help.
By the end of the 2nd lap, Steve had somehow managed to move from 11th to 8th place and after some wise words of encouragement from Dennis Walmsley just after the 20 mile point, he was lucky enough to chase down another 4 runners to finish in a surprising 4th place with a time of 3:14:21.
Interestingly, only 5 runners actually broke 3:15 and with just 16 breaking 3:30 it was clear just how tough this course proved to be. Another surprise bonus was that Steve was credited with 1st Vet, so all in all another very good day in glorious sunshine and another marathon notched off the target.
Steve wanted to say thank you to all those from the club that came out to support, it really did help him, especially to Den who made sure he pushed himself to the limit over those last few miles (his legs were very sore the day after, cheers Den!). For those that may have wondered why Steve was wearing 100 club colours during the race, it was out of respect for a fellow 100 club friend who passed away unexpectedly earlier in the week.
Highlights
Steve Edwards finishes 4th in the tough Cotswold Marathon.
522 marathons completed for Steve, with 448 of them sub 3:30 and 220 sub 3:15!
Steve on the third and final lap, looking strong as his experience shines-through.
Dennis Walmsley, World Masters Marathon Champion and 2010 event winner, runs the course in reverse giving support.
Shirl, Lynn and Pete out in support of Steve and the other runners.
Other reports may be found on our recent race reports page.