Flora London Marathon: Full Report

Flora London Marathon 13/4/08
Endurancelife Coastal Trail Half-Marathon 12/4/08

Eleven Teignbridge Trotters took part in one of the world's great races on Sunday, returning home with a new club record and a haul of personal best performances. The Flora London Marathon is the sort of event that runners dedicate months of training to and this year was no exception. Club members were pounding the region's roads, lanes and trails all winter in preparation for their big day out in the capital.

The event began on Blackheath in bright sunshine but runners had to endure heavy rain and chilly temperatures before completing the 26.2-mile course in The Mall. More than 34,000 entrants finished the race, making it the third biggest in the event's 28-year history.

It was certainly a big day for Siobhan Besford. She celebrated her 18th birthday on Sunday with an unforgettable present to herself, setting a new Junior Lady club record with her time of 4.19.26. Clare Youngman (3.36.57), Stuart Moulson (3.37.52), Neil Tampkins (3.55.01) and Mark Wotton (4.02.29) all finished the day with personal best performances.

Also flying the Trotters flag in the big smoke were: David Evans (3.36.41), Roger Hayes (3.36.50), Julia Proctor (3.49.34), Janice Caunter (4.00.59), Roy Brown (4.03.19) and Tina Caunter (4.56.02).

The Flora London Marathon may have been the weekend's most glamorous running event but it wasn't the only one. The previous day, John Johnson and Graham Penn tackled the final leg of the Endurancelife Coastal Trail Half-Marathon series. The event, which took place in the Exmoor National Park, had some great weather and the most breathtaking scenery of the whole series. It was also the toughest, containing several challenging hills. John clocked 02.40.48 and Graham crossed the line in 03.07.37 - admirable performances considering the terrain and the fact that the course measured over 15 miles.