Marathon star Kerrie can’t wait for this year’s run!
CHANGES TO HELP SLOWER PARTICIPANTS
A RUNNER from Cardiff who shared her heartbreaking experience of last year’s London Marathon has praised organisers for changes to the 2020 race that will benefit slower participants.
Kerrie Aldridge, from Splott, was one of several people who witnessed runners being called “too fat” in 2019 and said that from three miles in, the “clean-up crews were on our tails” during what she described as “a pretty lonely experience”.
The 40-year-old was running for the Miscarriage Association and to show her son Osian that anything is possible. She raised an incredible £11,300.
The mum of one said her experience from early on in the race was awful as she was made to feel a burden and didn’t experience the joy of comradeship and support that so many London Marathon runners describe.
She said water stations had been removed after the 13-mile point and she had to resort to asking people to pass her half-full bottles of water which had been discarded on the floor. She shared a tearful video from the race, which went viral.
In the end, Katie finished in nine hours and 11 minutes and received her medal.
She will be returning to run this year’s race and has been encouraged by the organisers’ response.
“It’s amazing,” she told the Press Assocation news agency. “(They) have shown that they have listened to the experiences of the back-of-the-pack runners and have looked creatively at solutions. The response I have had on social media since the emails went out has been amazing, with people thanking me for speaking out. The proof will come on the day but I’m hopeful.” Among the changes for the 2020 race, a bus with a DJ will drive behind the Tailwalkers to maintain atmosphere while Virgin Money Angels will offer help to those who need it. Event photographers will also stay in place for late finishers while anyone who falls behind the eight-hour pace will have a Tailwalker with them until the end. Ms Aldridge was pleased with the DJ bus as well as the additional support offered, saying: “It gets really lonely out there when you are running for hours on your own.”
Liz Ayres, 46, from London, ran as a 7.5-hour finish pacer last year, while providing moral support to those around her.
Liz said she was “told to hurry up despite sticking to my official pace” and also said she was sprayed with chemicals and water as well as being nudged by clean-up teams’ vehicles.
She has since campaigned to give a voice to the runners around her, and said the changes enacted by the race organisers meant it “had been worth the fight.”
“They (the changes) are brilliant and fully address all the issues we raised,” she said. “Everything that the front and mid pack receive as the norm will now be there for the back of the pack. All runners will be treated equally and that’s all we asked for.
“There’s still a lot of work in general to ensure the back of the pack are treated equally, but in this case London Marathon have got it right.”
Both Ms Aldridge and Ms Ayres said they were offered apology places for this year’s event after their experiences.
Hugh Brasher, event director for the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “We have worked very hard over the past months to put in place these plans that ensure that runners at the back of the pack have the best possible experience on the day.
“We’d like to thank the back of the pack runners from 2019 who shared their experiences with us and the working group that helped us come up with these ideas.”
If you would like to sponsor Ms Aldridge, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KerrieAldridge