INSIDETRACK Cold medallist warms up for marathon bow
TRACY MILLMORE finalised her London Marathon preparations with a comfortable victory in the Blyth Valley 10k road race.
The Birtley athlete was in doubt whether to join over 600 other competitors on the start line after picking up a heavy cold, but despite being ‘uncomfortable’ was pleased she did as she exceeded all expectations to win by over a minute.
Millmore has never run a marathon before, so London will be an entirely new experience, although she makes her debut on the back of some eye-catching endurance performances this year.
As well as her victory last Sunday, she came out on top in the Brass Monkey HalfMarathon (77:16) in York in January and squeezed in a run in Dewsbury over an ‘extended’ 10k course before coming out on top in the Snake Lane 10 (60:08) in Pocklington in late February.
“I was gutted when I picked up a cold a couple of weeks ago just when I thought everything was right on track,’’ said Millmore after her Blyth success.
“My Brass Monkey win was a huge confidence boost, and while I know a marathon is a completely different scenario, my training since then has been really great so I couldn’t wait for London to come around.
“Picking up a cold was more of a hindrance than anything because I still managed to continue getting out for a run despite my runny nose, but I couldn’t do the sessions I wanted to do.
“The Blyth race was pencilled in as my last competitive outing before London, and while my time – 36min 31sec – is way off my best, I was satisfied with how I ran.
“It didn’t take too much out of me and it was a good test to see if I had lost ground, if any, in the run up to the marathon.’’
Despite London being Millmore’s first venture at the marathon distance she has worked gradually to up her mileage in recent years, and in 2016 managed to contest four half-marathons as well as a couple of 10-milers and numerous 10k races.
Millmore first tested herself out over the half-marathon distance in 2013 when she finished 22nd in the Great North Run in 83:09.
It wasn’t until three years later that she lined up over 13 and a half miles again, and she certainly made up for lost time as, with this year’s London in mind, she gave a boost to half-marathon promoters by tackling the distance on four occasions.
In mid-January Millmore finished third in the Brass Monkey (79:26); in May she won in Edinburgh in a lifetime best 78:40; then in September in her second GNR crossed the line in 15th place in 80:28, which was nearly three minutes quicker than her previous best on the Newcastle to South Shields course.
Four weeks after the GNR she then ran the Manchester half-marathon and finished in eighth place in 79:44.
Since moving up in distance consistency has been the key for Millmore as her half-marathon ventures show, and now with all the background work behind her she will be hoping that she can put on a capital show over twice the distance in 10 days’ time!