Al's the marathon flyer (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Al's the marathon flyer

AFTER a winter of hard training for Bourton Roadrunners, everything seemed worth it when London produced one of the best days for a marathon for years.

In warm, sunny conditions without a breath of wind, six of the roadrunners set off on the 26.2 miles.

The crowds were bigger and louder than ever, ably added to by the wonderful travelling support from a number of the Bourton club.

Alistair Lockey, along with Rob Edwards, was aiming for the sub-three hour barrier for the first time and both were confident, especially after their performances in recent races including breaking their pbs in the Leamington 10k.

But it was Alistair who produced the performance of the day and went one better to break the 2.45 barrier, finishing in 2.43.59 and an amazing 294th overall.

Not to be outdone by his teammate and training partner, Rob also got under the three hours after several attempts in the past with 2.56.22 and 834th .

Sarah Peters was the first of the three Bourton Roadrunners making their debut in the marathon to make it to the finish line in the Mall and was pleased with her time of 4.14.51.

Gill Wilkie a veteran now of several London marathons, beat her time last year by a couple of minutes, finishing in 4.40.46

Jane Tanner and Thea Powell-Jones enjoyed the day and their first experience of the marathon. Amazingly they finished within 21 seconds of each other despite not running together during the race.

Jane started off at a fast pace once she got going but paid for it in the last six miles when she hit the dreaded wall and was glad to see the finishing line to record a time of 5.31.58.

Thea set off at a steadier pace but also found the last six miles to be the toughest as she finished in 5.32.19.

This year the Bourton Hilly Half Marathon is taking place on Saturday, June 25 at 6pm and is part of the Gloucestershire road race series.

The race is sponsored again by the haulage company of Hacklings Palletline of Bourton and there is a momento to all finishers, a free result service, a bar for recovery afterwards and an extensive prize list.

The entry fees are affiliated club members £8, unattached runners £9, on the day £10. Entry forms are available on the website www.bourtonroadrunners.co.uk or phone Dennis Abbotts on 01608 662232.

As a result of the 2005 Goldsmiths' 10K Road Race, which took place on February 20, Bourton Roadrunners and their sponsors, Bourton-on-the-Water Goldsmiths, were able to hand over a cheque for £1,564 to Catherine North of the Cheltenham branch of Macmillan Cancer Relief.

The race, which is an annual event and popular with runners and spectators alike, always attracts more than its maximum number of 550 entrants, with many being turned away disappointed.

Every year participants are invited to make donations to a chosen charity along with their entry fees, but the response for this year's charity, Macmillan Cancer Relief, was outstanding.

The runners' individual donations totalled £707, plus a cheque for £150 from the Acland Trust. Bourton Roadrunners were able to add a further £707 from the race takings, making the total up to £1,564.

Roadrunners and Bourton-on-the-Water Goldsmiths' have thanked those who gave generously, and to all local residents and businesses for their support.