Racing in London attracts a lot of plodders

It was a big milestone for Sarah Doherty, who ran her first ever half marathon at the London Landmarks Half.

The London Landmarks Half is a closed street in central London and the only half marathon to run through both the City of London and the City of Westminster. Runners pass many famous landmarks such as Nelson’s Column, Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye.

Sarah ran for guide dogs with her partner Martin Sales and raised over £880: “Six years ago Martin had a stroke which resulted in permanent visual impairment. The Eastbourne Blind Society has given us tremendous support and shortly after his stroke Martin took up jogging and joined the Polegate Plodders,” she said.

“It took me a while to get the running bug but the Saturday morning outings at Eastbourne parkrun certainly helped. Having got our own dog earlier this year, we know first hand how much he lifted our spirits. How special must it be for people with visual impairments to have a trustworthy and loyal friend?”

In perfect running conditions – cloudy, sunny and a light breeze – Sarah finished in 2 hours 24 minutes and 49 seconds, 15 minutes faster than her target of 2 hours 40. Martin was a second back in 2:24:50.

“Support was muted at first but eventually picked up; At 9 miles the guide dog stand gave us a huge wave and called out to us. There were a lot of bands, singers and choirs,” she said.

“Since testing positive for Covid over Christmas I have suffered from sciatica and it started quite early in the race. In the end I was very emotional when I realized I had surpassed my target by more than 15 minutes.”

Sarah had a few special people to thank after crossing the line: “Sue Fry for getting my body in shape with a thorough massage beforehand, Martin for his incredible continued support and the Pawleys for spending a weekend with us – Ben was there and Debs volunteered at the finish line disguised as Henry 8.”

“Being so consumed by my emotions at the end I missed her, but she was amazing.

Going forward, Sarah wants to focus on improving her 5k and 10k times: “I’m not keen on the longer distances because the training is too time consuming, kudos to all the runners going another 13 miles for want to run a full marathon.” She said.

Despite feeling unprepared and concerned about an ankle injury, Helen Blewitt came through in 2:04:05. She raised over £400 for the Epilepsy Society: “The crowd support was amazing, choirs, bands and raves everywhere; I highly recommend this lively event.”

For Liam Brooks, it was his third half in 29 days after Eastbourne and Hastings. He finished his second fastest half marathon in 1:37:34. His fastest coming in 2018.

Further south, Marco Fortmann competed in the Goodwood Motor Circuit Marathon that same weekend, finishing in 4:25:55.

In late April, three Plodders competed in the Rathfinny 10k at the world famous Alfriston Vineyard. The runners had to endure hot conditions over hilly but beautiful terrain. After her exploits at London Landmarks, Helen Blewitt finished in 1:14:1. Nikki Loats in 1:07:41 and Shauni Wells in 1:45:10.