Runners really are a different breed!
We run the numbers as Paul hobbles round Reading Half Marathon
There were 3,602 finishers in just over four hours at the 40th Unleashed Performance Reading Half Marathon on Sunday morning (3rd April). Winning times below 66 and 75 minutes spoke eloquently of the good conditions and fast course as 260 athletes reached the finish line inside the impressive Madejski Stadium (pictured above) within 90 minutes.
Among the 3,602 finishers medals claimed was one for the unmissable Paul Wilson (M45 Serpentine, 3:30:42) – a Didcot parkrun regular with a best of 22:53 and a 1:31:12 half-marathon runner – who 'ran' the entire race on crutches! As one concerned volunteer said: "My children and I were marshaling at the Uni and we saw him too! I wasn’t sure whether to cheer him on or tell him off!!!!" Runners really are a different breed.
The race starts in Green Park beside the home of Reading FC and passes through Reading University campus at 4 miles; the busy town centre at halfway and leafy Prospect Park at 9 miles before the dramatic finish inside the 25,000 seater stadium in front of a cheering crowd.
First to experience the finish line atmosphere this year was James Connor (Havering AC, 1:05:58) followed by Ed Bovingdon (Istead & Ifield Harriers, 1:06:45) and Neil Kevern (Bracknell AC, 1:06:59) – all in personal bests, with Bovingdon eclipsing his by well over three minutes.
It was a similar story in the women's race where Kate Drew (Taunton AC, 1:14:36) ran faster than ever before to defeat W40 Sarah Webster (Isle of Man, 1:17:24), Hayley Munn (Rugby & Northampton, 1:17:54) and the rest of the huge field.
The Green Park Challenge fun run over 3K supports the main event but also features the grandstand finish. This year's champions were 16-year-old Brendan Russell (9:45) and 13-year-old Georgina Langdon (10:35) as 404 finished in 32:51.
Results and previous event reports can be found at runABC South race listing here
Image courtesy Unleashed Performance Reading Half Marathon on Facebook