A Westbury woman is part of an all-female group of local runners preparing to take on the London Marathon this Sunday, 27th April.
Sarah Waugh, from Westbury, is one of the Avon Valley Runners club members who have been training for months to take on the 26.2-mile London Marathon. She joined the team after winning the club’s ballot place for the event.
“I’m so excited,” said Sarah. “I’m so grateful to have won the club ballot. My coach, Fiona Price, has been coaching me every step of the way, helping with my training plan and giving advice, encouragement and moral support. Everyone has been very kind and it really means so much.”
Other members of the group include Diane Hier who will be completing her 21st London Marathon this year. She currently holds the Avon Valley Runners’ club FV60 marathon record of 3:35:27, which she set in London in 2023.
Tina Vivian ran the London Marathon for the first time in 2004 at the age of 48 and will complete her 11th this year at the age of 70.
Izzy McNally qualified for her place by running a ‘good for age’ time at the Edinburgh Marathon in 2024 and is hoping for good weather to help her complete the course.
“I’m very excited to run in London with my fellow AVR runners and am hoping it will be less rainy than Scotland was,” said Izzy.
Gill Perry won her place in a competition organised by The Body Coach, Joe Wicks, who personally phoned Gill to give her the good news. She said, “I couldn’t believe it when I picked up the phone. I thought it was a joke at first, but I’m so happy to be running!”
Joe Wicks shared his phone calls on his Instagram page, where you can watch Gill receive the news.
Gemma Rosewarn is taking part to raise money for the charity Shelter, which campaigns for housing justice across England and Scotland.
The London Marathon has been a staple of the running calendar since its inception in 1981. It has become an iconic event for runners of all abilities – from beginners to seasoned athletes – raising millions of pounds for charity and earning a spot on many people’s bucket lists.
If you’re inspired to run, you can try three free sessions with the Avon Valley Runners club, which meets on various evenings at Trowbridge Rugby Club. Session information is available on their website:
https://www.avonvalleyrunners.org.uk/training-sessions.
Email enquiries can be sent to: secretary@avonvalleyrunners.org.uk.
Pictured: Sarah Waugh, third from the left, with l-r, Izzy McNally, Gretchen Tucker, Wendy Staden, Gill Perry and Gemma Rosewarn
