THE RESULTS of Stratford Athletic Club runners in the London Marathon were nothing short of astounding.
Five men finished inside three hours, a marathon debutant showed a natural affinity for the distance and all 14 club members ran up to or near their best in a remarkable effort.
Neil Wicks was the first of the Stratford contingent across the finish line. He is fast becoming a marathon expert and his time of two hours, 51 mins, 22 secs was just two minutes outside the personal best he set in Abingdon in October 2014.
There was a phenomenal performance from the in-form Phil Howell, who ran his fastest marathon by more than 11 minutes and his time of 2:53:21 was way ahead of the 3:06:03 he ran at London in 2014.
Tim Hutchinson was really pleased with his run, sticking to his target mile times throughout the race, while Graham Taylor really enjoyed his first London Marathon and achieved a well deserved PB.
Sarah Wheeler was ecstatic with the time and thoroughly enjoyed the “unforgettable” big race experience. She warmed up with the Kenyans in the elite field, gained loud support from some club-mates before and during the race and loved every second in running a textbook marathon.
STRATFORD AC results: Neil Wicks 2:51.22; Phil Howell 2:53.21; Tim Hutchinson 2:55.05; Graham Taylor 2:55.26; Rob Ford 2:58.27; Henry Morrison 3:02.51; Malcolm Bowyer 3:06.29; Sarah Wheeler 3:07.25; Pete Evans 3:14.54; James Cusack 3:28.09; Keith Beardsmore 3:45.54; Sarah Odell 3:56.46; Neil Robertson 4:37.39; Fern Hordern approx 3:38.
