Congratulations to Clare Prosser, from Midsomer Norton, who won the women’s race of the Bristol to Bath Marathon, which was held last Sunday. This is the first time this particular marathon event has been run, with Clare completing the course with a time of 2:52:50.
“It was quite a hilly course, but I love running up hills, so that was an advantage,” she said, speaking to The Journal this week. “An A to B run is always more fun. I grew up in Bath and work in Bristol, so it was a race I had to do. It was different with the route going through the villages.
“Towards the end, I couldn’t quite believe that I was actually going to go and win it. It was quite surreal. This was a much bigger race than usual and I tend to run off road, so I didn’t think I’d win at all. If I had finished in the top five, I would have been absolutely delighted. I also got a new PB!
“Being a local race, there were so many people I knew and my family and partner were screaming for me at the end, which is something I will always remember.
“I got the running bug after taking part in the Bath Half and then entered a marathon. I discovered that long-distance running is what I love and what I’m good at.”
Also running the course was John Reynolds, having completed a week of running through Wales, beginning on the Offa’s Dyke Trail path and covering a massive 225 miles before joining the marathon start line and then running back home in aid of Time is Precious.
John was running over forty miles a day, sleeping wherever he could, be it camping, B&Bs or local hostels.
He admits he has found it difficult to get back to normal after his extraordinary week of endurance. He said: “I think I only had around an hour and a half’s sleep on Sunday night, even though I was exhausted, my brain just would not switch off. There is so much planning involved and I was constantly thinking about the next place I had to get to and the schedule to make sure I arrived in Bristol on time for the marathon. The hardest part of the challenge is when you finish, it takes a good time to readjust.
“I loved the route this time and am missing it already, it was so wild, very isolated and the autumn colours were stunning. I was on a very tight schedule due to the amount of climb on the route and was carrying 38lbs of kit, as I needed something for all eventualities.
“I’d use my backpack as a pillow, but sleep is just a waste of time when you can be out running!”
John had some real challenges en route, including GPS failure, landing knee deep in a swamp, being frightened witless by a wild pony that had decided to join him and being stared at by the locals as he devoured three entire meals and precious calories before moving on to the next stop.
Only a few months ago, John completed the Mont Blanc Massif, running through the Alps. He said: “That was the only challenge that I’ve ever felt out of my depth. Until then, I hadn’t been very good with heights. On the first day I arrived, I thought I had better climb the first mountain and remember getting to the top and thinking ‘what have I done!’ It took me 39 hours to complete the course and I wanted more than anything to finish.”
John was out running again on Monday this week with Clare and said his feet may have forgiven him by the end of the week. He is currently taking groups of runners out three times a week for Time is Precious in preparation for the Bath Half Marathon in March. Speaking about the first ever Bristol to Bath Marathon, he said: “It was a tough one. The course was very hilly and for many taking part, it was their first ever marathon. It’s a big step from a half marathon and I expect it was pretty tough on them! But it is really good to see so many people taking on the challenge and being more involved in sport. Training new runners has been really rewarding and as long as people want me to run with them, I’ll do it.”
John will be taking a break from his huge challenges for the rest of the year, but will continue to be busy by giving talks at local schools about his experiences and is also in the process of writing two books.