A trip to Europe - 24-hour World Championships 2025

It's been several weeks now since I competed in the 24-hour World Championships, and looking back, it still feels a little surreal that I was there on the world stage, representing Canada along with some other amazing athletes. The whole experience was incredible, from our arrival in France where we got chatting to athletes from other countries whilst waiting to clear immigration, to the flag parade and opening ceremony, the mealtimes at the pavillion, the Team Canada meetings, wandering around Albi and the French saying how much they loved Canada, to the actual race itself, where world and national records were broken, PRs set, and a whole range of emotions surfaced, not just for myself but for many others that were out on the course too.

Whilst the memories are still there, some of the detail has already faded with the passing of time over the past few weeks, but I still wanted to capture things as best I could in this post so that when I read it again in years to come, I can relive those moments and experience the same emotions.

So without further ado, let's chat about those few days in France back in October 2025 .....

Arrival

We'd flown out to the UK a few days before the event which not only gave us the opportunity to catch up with family, but also to adjust to the time difference and get over the jet lag. The UK is 7 hours ahead of Alberta but only an hour behind France, and it really helped getting the body in line with the time zones, not only from.the sleeping point of view, but also the eating. Talking of eating, food options are also different, and it helped that my body had already converted to the European diet as my stomach didn't have any problems with the change in diet.

We spent 4 days in England before flying out to Toulouse on the Wednesday morning on a British Airways flight from London. It was a busy flight, but we noticed that there appeared to be several other athletes on the same flight, and we later discovered they were from the US, the UK and Ireland when we got chatting to them whilst waiting to come through immigration. That line took forever, and when we were finally granted entry to France, the shuttle bus to the hotels had already left and we had another 2 hours of waiting at the airport before the next shuttle arrived to ferry teams to Albi, which was approximately an hour's drive away.

Heathrow Airport and heading to Toulouse

We headed over to a cafe and settled down with our luggage for a couple of hours, trying to make a rather expensive large cup of coffee and a small sandwich last as long as possible, so we didn't have to spend another small fortune downing more food and drink.

When the shuttle bus finally arrived, there was only Andy and I from the Canada team, but we had great company from the USA, Argentina, Ukraine, Brazil and Sweden. There was lots of chatter on the coach despite the travel fatigue, and everybody was in great spirits.

Team Canada was staying at the Mercure Albi Rives du Tarn and a team meeting had been scheduled for the Wednesday afternoon to give us chance to all meet each other and to collect our team kit. We arrived late but most of the team were still hanging around, and it was nice to finally put faces to names that had so far just been text in a Whatsapp group.

Our hotel, overlooking the Tarn River

It was a bit of a rush for Andy and I - no sooner had we arrived at the hotel, we were rushing to get ready for supper which would be held at the pavilion. I personally enjoyed the meal times as all teams gathered together and it was a good opportunity to get chatting to others. The food was also very good in my opinion, although portions were small, and I did have concerns as to whether we would all be sufficiently fuelled for the race on the Saturday. Thankfully, breakfasts at the hotel were buffet style, and I think we spend a good hour at breakfast every morning, filling up on breads and cheeses and meats, some breakfast cereal, croissants, cakes, and all other things French. - in fast I think breakfast was perhaps my most favourite meal, and I certainly took advantage of it on race morning.

Pre-Race 

Having arrived mid-week, we had two full days in Albi before race day. This was a great opportunity for team bonding and getting to know each other. First thing Thursday morning, we met up for a short run and headed over to the race venue to do a loop of the course. The course was a 1.5km loop and the extra distance to the stadium and back gave us a decent 5km shakeout run. Running around the city, we spotted many of the other teams out on group runs, and at one point, two members of the Ukrainian team joined us for a couple of km before veering off and heading to their hotel.

Checking out the course with the team

Albi itself is a beautiful city - quaint and steeped in history, dominated by the Sainte-Cecile Cathedral and sitting on the banks of the Tarn River. Wandering around town in our Canadian kit, we had so many friendly comments from the locals, and they certainly made us feel very welcome.

Team Canada, minus Viktoria

A couple of team meetings to discuss who was crewing who and what our nutritional needs would be took place, and I think the excitement and anticipation of the race was starting to build. I was really looking forward to racing and was focused on hitting the 200km,but when I started with a sore throat on the Thursday that got progressively worse, I knew I was coming down with a cold that would likely hamper my performance. I tried to convince myself it was all in the mind, but then the stuffy nose started and I couldn't deny it any longer - I did have a cold and it was most frustrating!

Andy and I had a wander around the town on the Thursday and Friday to look for race day foods that I might need. We grabbed a sandwich and sat beside the fountain on the main boulevard, sheltering from the heat of the day as the sun beat down on us and temperatures hovered around 20 degrees. It wasn't hot like in the summer months, but given that we were from Canada and things are a lot cooler in October in Canada, there was concern that the heat would affect some of our races. For my part, Andy and I agreed that we just need to focus on staying hydrated and taking salt tablets - hopefully  then the heat wouldn't have too much an impact on how my race panned out.

Lunch in Albi

The flag parade and opening ceremony were scheduled for the Friday afternoon at 5pm, and Team Canada arrived at the main square together, where there were hundreds of people gathering for the flag parade. These World Championships would be one of the largest ever, with 47 countries registered and something like 400 athletes taking part. As the teams gathered in their pens, it was impressive the different teams in attendance, and it was such a wonderful feeling knowing that no matter what is going on in the world, sport can still bring people together and unite them as one. It really was quite emotional just thinking about it.

Team Canada at the flag parade

For the flag parade, the teams headed out in alphabetical order, and Canada was quite near the front. A chap on a bike followed the parade, playing each country's national anthem on his harpsichord as he passed by, and when passing Team Canada, we all sang "Oh Canada" with pride. The parade route took us along the old narrow cobbled streets, with people eating and drinking outside cafes and restaurants, or tourists wandering around town admiring the sites. The atmosphere was incredible, everybody in great singing voice, the excitement and anticipation of race day building.

Mid flag parade

As the flag parade came to an end, all the teams headed inside the theatre for the opening ceremony, where the flag carrier from each country went up on stage to lay their country's flag. It took a while to get through everybody, and when Ukraine was called up, there was lots of applause and cheering for a team that had made it to the world championships, despite the problems back home. It was extremely emotional, even more so when everybody stood to give them a standing ovation.

Speeches followed and then entertainment which included Can Can Dancers and a wonderful solo artist singer - all very French, and all very entertaining and lots of fun.

Opening ceremony

Supper followed once again at the pavillion and thankfully, we were served pasta, Andy giving me his portion just to be sure that I was fully fuelled for the next day. With drinks food and kit already packed and ready to go, there was little more  I could do to prepare for my race, except to get a good night's sleep. I do believe I did just that.

Race Day

Although the race didn't start until 10am, it was an early alarm call for breakfast as the shuttle to the race venue would be arriving around 7am. I was sure to eat a good, filling breakfast before heading off, washed down with plenty of fluids to keep hydrated.

The team was understandably quiet on race morning, all of us focusing on the task in hand and trying to get ourselves mentally prepared for the day ahead. I was filled with nervous anticipation, excited about racing yet frustrated at having a cold, not really knowing whether my body would be able to give me what I wanted over the next 24 hours.

It was quite a chilly start to the morning, and on arrival at the stadium, we busied ourselves laying out all our food and gear to assist our crew in finding things, before settling down and waiting patiently for the next two hours. I sat in the bleachers for a short while, but when I heard there was some indoor seating in a small hall just across the way, I made my way over and happily relaxed and enjoyed the warmth for as long as possible.

As I was wandering over, I passed the Team GB tent, and knowing that there were some very good friends there representing great Britain that I had ran with many years ago, I popped in to say a quick hello and grab a photo. It was so awesome to see each other after all this time, still friends yet opponents at the same time, and throughout the entire race, we encouraged each other every time we passed by.

Team GB and old friends

The time was actually passing by quite quickly, and about an hour or so before the start, we had to do a timing chip check. This was vital to make sure things were correctly registered in the system and to be sure that out laps were accurately recorded. Shortly afterwards, we had a quick team chat which was when the realisation of my purpose for being here really hit home - I was here to represent Canada, and I was ready to give my all, along with the rest of the team. After a few team pictures, it was time to make our way over to the start.

I was wondering how 400+ athletes would cram into a 400m track for the start, but space was not an issue, and having had our bibs checked, we huddled in the waiting pen for the start gun to sound. The atmosphere was amazing and it was interesting to see how each athlete handled things - some jumping around excitedly, others quietly chatting, some just walking around and gathering their own thoughts as they geared up to give their all for their country.

At 10am, the starting gun sounded, and the 24-hour world championships were underway.

One of many official start photos - credit not mine!

The start was smooth and at no point did I feel boxed in or that things were overcrowded. Although the Canadian team had stood together in the start area, I soon lost sight of everybody as athletes of all nationalities started to mingle. Considering that it was a 24 hour race, I was surprised at how fast many of the other athletes set off, and I found myself quite a way back in the field. I was ok about this. I didn't want to get dragged along too quickly at the start, and end up overdoing things too early on.

The loop as mentioned earlier was a 1.5km loop which included a partial lap of the track at the start and end - the rest of the course was pavement, some sections being quite narrow with space for 5 or 6 athletes alongside each other, whilst the camber was quite noticeable in some parts which could well cause problems later on,especially as we wouldn't be changing direction. Thankfully, there were enough turns both left and right to prevent too much strain in one side of the body, and I don't recall having any problems during the race with my knees, hips, or ankles.

The team tents were stretched out along the back straight of the track, and this stretch was not only noisy from all the spectators but also very busy as athletes crossed into the inside lane to grab fuel and other race necessities from their team crew on passing by. The tents were alphabetical so Canada was quite near the start, and every time I rounded the top bend, I'd look for the Canadian flags flying proudly on the outside, making sure it was visible for the athletes so they could grab things as we ran by.

Our awesome Team Canada Crew that kept us all going.

As we left the track for the paved part of the loop, the main food tent was available, and this had a superb array of foods and drinks for those that were either self crewing in the open race, or for team athletes that needed something different. I didn't really use this aid station very much until later in the race, and I was certainly grateful for the mashed potato, rice pudding, and the fizzy water just for a change in flavour.

The next 400m or so was pretty quiet, and whilst there was chatter amongst some of the runners, in the main, it was the sound of hundreds of running shoes bouncing off the pavement that kept us going. 

There was one area of the course that I called music bend, and for the best part of the whole 24 hours, there was a small group of enthusiastic supporters playing music, beating drums, and just generally creating a huge party atmosphere. For the first few hours, the up tempo music was appreciated, and I even found myself singing along to some of the songs. But when night time came, and especially the early morning hours around 3am, I really just wanted some peace and quiet to get me through the night, instead of music blaring in an already tired and fatigued brain! If nothing else, this corner was the most liveliest on course, and many spectators hung out there during the daylight hours. I recall seeing the same people waving flags, cheering and clapping for many, many hours, and every time, it made me smile and I really appreciated all if the support, whether for me personally, or all of the athletes together. It truly was incredible.

I don't really recall any great level of detail about my race. I know for several hours, I was eating and drinking perfectly, and I was feeling good and in my happy place. My mood was good, I was feeling positive, and every so often, if bump into team members or some of the Team GB and we'd share a few words, have a bit of a laugh and maybe a joke.

Happy and staying hydrated in the heat

I do remember that the weather was warm and sunny, with temperatures in the low 20s. I was making use of the sponges out on the course as I was certainly feeling the heat, and I was definitely sun burnt when I hopped in the shower the following day. I was mindful that I needed to take on salt to keep cramps at bay, and I appeared to be mastering my nutrition perfectly again, with no bouts of sickness or nausea. I was clearly eating much more solid foods as I needed to poop at least three times during the race - the poops came easy, they were solid, and my gut was clearly coping well with both the effort, the heat, and whatever I was throwing inside. I should add that surprisingly for France, the loos we're just the hole in the ground, and trying to crouch to hit the hole became much more difficult as the hours went by and the legs got more fatigued. I was generally hitting the bulls eye, but others were obviously struggling and those loos needed a good wash down several times throughout the race.

Whilst I was avoiding the vomiting, others were throwing up within the first couple of hours, and some parts of the course were pretty nasty - without giving out too many details!

Although my race was going well, I was definitely feeling the effects of the cold if picked up. My nose was either runny or blocked, and I could feel the rubbish accumulating on my chest as my breathing became more wheezy. This became even more apparent as the sun started to set later in the day, and the temperature started to drop. I started coughing a little more, and then the sore throat started, the latter making it far more difficult to eat food as I wasn't able to swallow properly. I'd been mostly fuelling on gels and solids including crisps, flapjack, bananas etc, but they were becoming difficult to eat with my throat as it was. I knew that I needed fuel as my energy was dropping, and unlike previous occasions when I've been unable to eat due to nausea, this time it was a sore throat preventing me from eating adequate calories.

Andy grabbed me some broth from the communal aid station but it was awfully salty and I was unable to eat it, but then I found the creamy mashed potatoes, the fruit filled rice pudding, and the sparkling mineral water, all of which were a game changer for me as my body started to feel much more energised. Sadly, it was also feeling quite fatigued due to the cold virus I was carrying, but at least I was able to start running a few laps again.

The crew at work

My goal for the Worlds was to run around 200km, but I knew that having a cold might well hinder that goal, even though my training leading up to the event had gone extremely well. I don't remember now how long it took to go through those milestone distances of the marathon, 50k, 50 miles, 100k and so on, but I do know that after the first 12 hours, I knew I wasn't go to make the 200k. When my throat started to go sore and I wasn't able to refuel properly, it was just a matter of keeping going. Other members of the team were struggling in their own way, a couple of them had already dropped, but the rest of us were persevering in the hope that maybe we could turn things around.

Having spent most of the daylight hours being very warm and dousing myself with water on every lap, the night hours brought a chill, especially as my clothes were still damp from the water and sweat. I wasn't moving very quickly for the last few hours and I was starting to feel the chill, so I took a break for about 10 or 15 minutes at the team tent to change into some warm clothing, have a hot coffee, and to get some warm food in me. It made a huge difference, and I got back out onto the course, alternating between running and a good power walk. At one point, I was given a caffeine pill to give me a boost, but it has no effect whatsoever, probably because I drink so much tea on a normal day anyway!

The night hours always seem much quieter in a 24 hour event. The spectators head off for some sleep and usually return for the last hour of the race, and even the number of athletes seems to drop off. The course was definitely much quieter which can be difficult for those that thrive on noise and things being busy, but I much prefer these quieter hours, and I was starting to feel some of that energy returning. Music bend was still pumping although the music wasn't quite as loud, and they still had a small crowd of loyal supporters keeping them company.

I don't remember what time it was, but in the final hours, I caught up with team mate Viktoria, and we both started walking together. I'd now readjusted my goal to reaching a minimum 100 miles - no way was I going to drop, even though my race wasn't going as well as I'd hoped, whilst Viktoria - who was also harbouring a severe cold - wasn't feeling quite as motivated to keep going.

Sharing the miles with good friends and team mates

We spent a good couple of hours chatting together as the miles passed by and we finally saw the sunrise, and we worked together to keep on moving. Viktoria was close to breaking the age group record for 24 hours, I was getting close to my hundred miles, and it was just a matter of time before we hit our target. 

With about an hour remaining on the clock, Viktoria dropped back having already broken the national record, but I pushed on to get as far over 100 miles that I could. I was amazed to see athletes still moving so well this late on in the race, and not only was it inspiring to see the USA team and the Brits and other European teams looking so strong, but our Canadian team was also inspiring to see each time they passed me by, and I was so proud of them.

That last hour was crazy as the stadium became packed with spectators, teams appeared again, crew members returned, and there was an incredible buzz radiating across the stadium. I was now starting to warm up again as the sun started to rise, so I took off some layers to make things more comfortable. With the buzz now filling the stadium, it felt like everybody was speeding up, and even I found myself started to jog a little bit again. Music bend had turned up the volume and the crowds were three deep on that corner, and I was grateful for the short stretch at the back of the stadium, where there were no spectators and it was a little quieter where I could just gather my thoughts.

The lap on the track was deafening, everybody cheering and going crazy, people everywhere, national flags flying on the seating area whilst many of the athletes were now taking their own flag ready for the final whistle. 

The countdown begins - approx 10 minutes to the finish

I was feeling tired yet far more energised at the same time, and as Andy handed me my Canadian flag, I draped it across my shoulders and entered the last 10 minutes or so of the race.

My laps had been taking around 12 minutes or something, and when the final gun sounds, you have to stop where you are so things can be measured. A volunteer runs alongside in the final minute to hand you a marker so they can give you the correct distance.

I didn't think I'd make it back to the stadium before the 24 hour signal sounded, but there was still a minute on the clock when I entered for the final time, and it was about 300m to.the Canadian Team tent. I'm not sure where it came from, but as the final minute counted down, I ran as quick as I could to be sure I finished near to the crew and Andy. With seconds to go, I rounded that final bend, and when the gun sounded, I stopped literally a couple of metres passed the tent. It was so amazing to finish where I did, the cheering and applause deafening, and knowing that part of it was my own team, cheering for me.

Elated to have made it through the entire 24 hours

Marker secure, I made the few steps back to the tent and slumped down on the grass coughing my head off and blowing a couple of snot rockets, whilst waiting for the rest of the team to come back.

Some of the team had outstanding runs with national age group records broken, other sadly walked away much earlier due to medical issues. For my part, I'd lasted the full 24 hours, had no vomiting whatsoever which was a win in my books, and I had covered around 104 miles - far less that I'd hoped for, but still not bad given the circumstances. I was very tired, I felt rough, but I was happy, and happy to have stuck it out for the team.

Happy Del :)

Post Race

After the race had ended, pretty much everybody was lying around on the damp grass, resting their legs and reflecting on their race. For some, there was elation, others a little disappointment, but we all knew there was nothing we could do about it now.

The awards ceremony was to be held at 11am and we needed to be packed up and ready to head back to the hotel straight afterwards as there was a final banquet that we were all to attend.

The clean up is always more of a chore than the actual racing - food wrappers, empty drinks bottles, dirty cups, garbage, half eaten chocolate bars that were now melted, wet wipes, stinky clothing - you get the idea. And nothing goes neatly into the bags you'd started out with the day before ... ugh! It took about an hour before the tent was cleared, and having mauled all of our gear over to the pavillion ready for the banquet, we then made our way to the awards ceremony.

Please just let us sleeeeep!!

We were walking like zombies, half asleep, sore, thirsty and hungry. The seats at the hall were terribly uncomfortable, and there wasn't much leg room which was causing my legs to seize up with not being able to stretch them out. We all needed food and drink but none was available, and the ceremony started with more speeches and thank yous before they finally got down to the nitty gritty. I think a few of us were starting to get restless - we'd had no sleep for well over 24 hours, no real food, nothing to drink properly - and it wasn't only the athletes that were struggling, but the crew members and team support too.

Although we were all physically tired and sleepy, it was nice to share the awards ceremony with all the other teams, whether they'd won things it not. The Canadian team did well in the world masters event with some of our team members winning individual medals in their age groups. For the IAU World Championships, there were some outstanding performances overall, not least by Sarah Webster of the British team, who set a new women's world record. This record was previously held by Camille Heron, it was broken in 2024, and by 2025, it was Sarah at the top with a phenomenal 278km or something crazy. That was enough to propel the GB to team gold, and being duel Brit/Canadian, I was so proud of the team.

We sat there for around about an hour as all of the amazing athletes went up on stage to collect their medals - then it was finally time for lunch, and the closing banquet back at the pavillion.

I've already mentioned that I found the food satisfactory - not brilliant, but ok - but for that final banquet, they really outdid themselves. The food was extremely tasty, the portions were huge, and although I was ravenous, I wasn't able to eat everything. Quite a few of us took little doggy bags back to the hotel with us, ready to be consumed when our already full bellies allowed.

The banquet was the last opportunity for all of the teams to be together. Some folks were heading back home later that evening, and others would be leaving very early morning the next day. We said our goodbyes to those we wouldn't see again, and it all seemed to have ended far too quickly.

The few of us remaining Canadians headed outside and waited for the bus to take us back to the hotel. We were still in relatively good spirits despite the fatigue, but for both Andy and I, we were desperate for some shut eye, and as soon as we got back to the room, I had a nice hot shower before zonking out in the bed.

A fitful few hours later, Andy and I woke up, both of us feeling hungry. We opted to eat in the hotel as we didn't feel like heading out again, so we made our way down to the fancy restaurant on the main floor.

It was around 9pm and the restaurant closed in an hour, but they were happy to sit us down, likely hoping that we'd have some fine French wine and a slap up meal. Unfortunately, sparkling water was the only thing we fancied, and when it came to food, the fish and snails on the menu just wasn't exactly appealing - I'm not a huge fan of fish and I'll only eat cod or haddock from a chippy, or else tuna and occasionally salmon both from a tin. We asked what the dish of the day was, we were informed it was a good fillet on a bed of rice, and in our fuzzy, tired brains, a fillet steak sounded delicious if a little weird with rice.

When our food arrived, it was ... you guessed it ... a fillet of fish, and I think it was trout. Nooooo way!!!! I tried a couple of bites and it was just too fishy for me, so I slapped the poor fish on Andy's plate whilst I enjoyed the rice and veg which was actually quite tasty.

By half ten, we were in bed again, snoozing away and dreaming of bacon and eggs for breakfast :)

Back to the UK, then home ❤️

We were one of the last to leave Albi on the Monday, and after a tasty breakfast of cheeses, breads, cakes and cereals, we finally said our goodbyes to the few remaining members of Team Canada. It seemed strange to share so much joy, pain and emotion with these incredible people, only to now go our separate ways, not knowing whether we would ever meet up again, despite becoming friends for life. I would never be able to thank them enough for the friendship and camaraderie we shared over those 5 days in France.

We'd already pretty much packed the night before, and with a late check-out, it was handy being able to securely leave our bags for a couple of hours whilst we went for a stroll to the cathedral and back through the quaint cobbled streets of town.

A walk to loosen things up

It was only a couple of miles round-trip, the cathedral was of course immensely beautiful, and we marvelled at the intricate stonework and paintwork on both the interior and outside. That's definitely one thing I do miss living in Canada - the history and the much older churches or cathedrals, and the beautiful medieval architecture of the buildings.

Stunning architecture and painting

Having wandered back along the cobbled streets, I was really craving a burger and fries, so we stopped off at the Black and White Burger for lunch. I have to say that a burger never tasted so good, and I gobbled it down like it was going out of fashion, washed down with an ice cold can of coke.

I think I earned this, thank you very much!

Our coach collected us from the hotel at around 3pm, and our journey back to the airport in Toulouse was shared with several other nations. I was really happy to see a couple of ladies from the GB team on the same coach, and we had a great natter and a most excellent catch-up after all of these years. Not surprisingly, we were on the same flight to Heathrow, so we had a good couple of hours sharing life stories and old memories of friends and events gone by. It was only when boarding our flight that we said our goodbyes once again, not knowing when we'd next meet up but agreeing to stay in touch.

On arrival back in England, it was already 10pm and we still had the 2 to 3 hour drive back up to Stoke. Thankfully the hire car was waiting for us and we were quickly on the road, although the M6 was closed around Birmingham and we had to use the back roads through the city, and the GPS took us completely around the Wrekin, adding an extra hour to the drive.

We finally arrived at the hotel in Stoke around 2am - it has been a long and tiring day, and given we'd already lost a night's sleep due to the race, we were both out like a light as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

We had 4 days in Stoke before flying back home to Canada, and it was great to see family and friends again, to have a good beer in a pub, and to enjoy sausage, chips and curry from the local chippy. We made it out to Ilam in Derbyshire for a bit of a hike and some afternoon tea, and we enjoyed a pot of tea and a cream scone whilst reminiscing about holidays and day trips spent in the Peak District, and particularly Dove Dale and the surrounding hills. 

Ilam Hall

Afternoon tea and a cream scone

The Thursday night before flying home, we went to see Spear of Destiny at The Rigger in Newcastle, had a couple of beers, and I got to bump into my second cousin who we've been in contact with for a few years, but I'd never met until that night. It really was quite special.

But whilst being back in Stoke was fun and I had genuinely missed everybody, I was also missing home and the life we now have in Canada. Our three little pups were waiting for us, and I'm sure Wilson had missed us for the past couple of weeks - it was time to go home, and say yet more difficult goodbyes.

The two weeks away had been fabulous, the experience of running at a world championship event again was of course amazing, and I was honoured to have been wearing the Canadian kit and flying the flag for Canada. I was definitely ready to go home now and share my stories with friends back in Alberta, but at the same time, it was hard saying bye bye to our families. None of us are getting any younger and health issues are always a concern. We don't know when we'll see our families again, and whilst we know they're only a phone call away, it's still 5000 miles if we needed to get there quickly. There were the inevitable emotions as we left Stoke, but we left with more memories to look back on in years to come.

To those of you that have read to the end, thank you for reading, and thank you for all the support and encouragement you've given me both leading up to the race, and over the years that we've known each other. I'd love to think that maybe I could qualify for another world championship, set age group records, and continue to be the competitive athlete I've been for over 40 years - I plan to keep on running and aiming to be the best I can for as long as I can, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get that call again :)