And so to Hastings for the renowned annual half Marathon on Sunday March 21, to do battle, if that is the right pun, with the weather, the course, one’s stamina and most important to keep the Master on his toes! You wouldn’t want to be beaten by a pensioner, would you?
Past Master Snelling not only generously backed the pair of us but also made what must have been a round trip of 150 miles to act as official photographer. We are very grateful for his support. It was a chilly, grey, damp but thankfully non rainy race from start to finish for the 5,000 starters – 3992 finished. Not an easy course, with a short steep hill in the first mile and a gruelling long uphill haul from mile 3 to mile 5 ½.
Why was I there? The right distance in my training schedule for the London Marathon on April 25 and a competition to test my personal best in training.
As you may know my charity is Action Medical Research – you can visit my website: www.action.org.uk/sponsor/johncorp for more details. Last year I was generously backed with just over £3,000.
I clocked 2:07:41 taking 16 minutes off my personal best which encourages me to believe that I can achieve a decent 4 hour time this year. I won’t be running against the Master in the London Marathon – this time it will be the Lord Mayor!
The Master whose fund raising for Botton Village is highly impressive strolled in at 1:50:19. Only 17 minutes ahead you might say but a better perspective is that 1,347 places separated his position – 1,372 and mine – 2,719.
My one disappointment was not seeing the Master, his supporters or Past Master Snelling on the day.
John
Go to www.asiphoto.net and enter 24 for James and 50 for me to see more photos.