NY Marathon & Tinto Hills
November 11th, 2008When Paula Radcliffe crossed the finishing line at last week’s New York Marathon as the stunning three times winner, she wasn’t to know that she had been beaten to it by a week by Gala Harrier Katy Anderson. Katy had been part of the Scottish Athletics team sent over to work at the marathon in her capacity as Media and Communications Manager – and had pulled on her racing shoes to compete in the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff, the annual event that launches NY Marathon race week. It’s a five mile race that concludes at the world famous marathon finish at the Tavern on the Green in the Big Apple’s Central Park and one that is chosen by many marathoners as their final sharpener for the 26.2 miles the next weekend. Katy was among the 6,500 runners who gathered among the fallen leaves in the famous park and sprinted home in spectacular fashion as 4th woman in a time of 30 minutes and 33 seconds, averaging an impressive 6.06 mins per mile and also coming in 2nd place in her age group.
A fellow harrier, Dave Nightingale travelled over for the marathon itself and enjoyed a course that spans five bridges, takes in 5 boroughs and is watched by 2 million spectators. Dave came in in 3 hours, 52 minutes and 16 seconds, not bad for a 53 year old - 649 in his age group and 7791th out of 38 ½ thousand runners!
Last weekend, athletes had also been running up and down hills against the elements, and on the windswept Tinto Hills, experienced Shelagh King came home in 1.04.06 with first timers Anne Purves and Susan Howel loving their adventure in 1.17.05.
