Marathon heroine set for city race
KERRIE ALDRIDGE stole the hearts of the nation for her determination in finishing the London Marathon as stewards packed up signs and water stations around her.
Standing at just 4ft 7in, the mother of one from Cardiff went viral after a video of the marathon earlier this year drew worldwide attention.
She described the experience as “awful” as the course and mile markers were removed while she was still running, but after a tremendous effort she finished with a time of nine hours and 11 minutes.
If finishing a marathon wasn’t impressive enough, Kerrie raised thousands of pounds for the Miscarriage Association in memory of five babies she miscarried.
The 40-year-old will be taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday, and will also be taking part in the children’s race a day earlier, along with her five-year-old son, Osian.
Kerrie, of Splott, said: “To be honest things have been crazy for me since London. I did the Cardiff 10k a few weeks ago, which was an amazing experience. People knew about my story in London and were being very inclusive and encouraging but I am still a back-of-the-pack runner.
“I have introduced my little boy, Osian, to running and we did a 5k together in Cardiff Bay with my husband, Darren. It was the first time we have done a running event as a family.
“I did the Cardiff Half Marathon last year and I found as soon as I finished I wanted to do it again this year. The support from the Cardiff Half is really great and that’s the reason why I’m running.”
Since taking part in the London Marathon, Kerrie has reached the Wales regional shortlist for the Pride of Britain Awards for Fundraiser of the Year.
Speaking about the reception she has received from supporters, Kerrie said: “I am on a journey to become the best mum I can be and the best runner I can be and to show anybody that if I can do it anybody can do it. I am just me, I am just Kerrie, a mum and a short-ass woman with short legs. I did London for an amazing charity and to show my little boy I could do it.
“The support I have had from people has been absolutely amazing. There was some negative comments from people, as there will always be, but I know what I did for that race and I know the hours I put in and the amount of family time I sacrificed. I didn’t do it for those people, I knew I could run 26.2 miles and raise awareness for charity.
“People have contacted me from all over the world, from America and Australia, and taken time out of their day to say thank you and to keep on doing it. It’s blown me away.
“One of the side-effects of London is that people have told me it’s given them hope and inspired them. I suppose I have got my life back and I am really thankful for being able to turn that difficult experience around.”
Kerrie will be taking part in the London Marathon again next year, after receiving an apology and a free place due to her experience on the last occasion.
Cardiff Half Marathon road closures map – pages 32&33