TOMMY WINS IN LONDON!
RACE REPORT
Report by Chris Mitchell
After his recent good form during the winter cross-country and road season, Tommy was selected to compete alongside five other athletes from Yorkshire and Humberside against the best athletes from 12 other regional teams from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The competition, celebrating its 40th year, also incorporates the British Athletics Road Championships and is run over the final 2.6 km of the full London Marathon course, passing Buckingham Palace and finishing on the Mall.
After what Tommy described as the hardest start he had ever experienced, the young Wakefield Harrier managed to get his breathing back under control towards the end of Birdcage Walk and settled in with the leading pack in around 6th place. After gathering his thoughts towards winning the biggest race of his running career, he started to make his move up Constitution Hill, to set himself up for a big finish. Turning into The Mall, he could sense victory and felt strong. Containing his emotions in front of the large crowds, he made the sensible decision to control his pace, reserving some energy to respond to any late surges from his competitors. Eventually, he cruised over the line to take the victory in a superb 8 minutes and 16 seconds – the biggest win of his fledgling career. He also enjoyed a full post-race winner’s experience, including his first televised interview, taking photographs, signing the winner’s wall, and attending the awards presentation to collect his trophy.
Reflecting on the race, Tommy said, “I have just been training really consistently, and finally I’ve got my reward. I’m just going to enjoy waking up tomorrow with a smile on my face, knowing I won and that all the hard work was worth it.
