Welsh record-holder finishes forty sixth in 2:33:01 after getting Crew GB call-up only one week earlier
Clara Evans solely came upon she was operating the Olympic marathon seven days earlier than the race. She flew out to Paris 5 days beforehand and is getting married in Chepstow subsequent Saturday. However she completed first Brit house in 46th in 2:33:01.
“It’s been a whirlwind. I used to be prepping for a marriage not a marathon,” she advised AW on the end of the race within the French capital. “I didn’t suppose I’d make an Olympics. I’m simply so proud and blissful to be within the workforce.”
GB team-mates Calli Hauger-Thackery and Rose Harvey didn’t fare so effectively. Hauger-Thackery had been forward of Evans within the early phases however fell again by means of the sector and DNF’d, whereas Harvey started slowing so much within the second half of the race however, decided to complete, battled on grimly to 78th place in 2:51:03.
Fighting a hip downside, Harvey exited the end in a wheelchair.
Calli Hauger-Thackery in lead group (Getty)
Evans, 30, had changed Charlotte Purdue, who withdrew with an ankle damage. The Welsh record-holder’s greatest is 2:25:01 and on a troublesome hilly course on Saturday in heat circumstances she ran simply eight minutes slower as she got here in a single place behind Gerda Steyn, the South African record-holder and three-time Comrades Marathon winner.
Had Evans been coaching with the Olympic marathon as a possible race? Not notably, she defined: “It wasn’t actually at the back of my thoughts but it surely was at the back of the thoughts of my coach Chris (Jones). I couldn’t give it some thought as I felt it was too arduous to cope with the prospect of a possible (run). I knew the opposite ladies have been nonetheless operating tremendous so I wasn’t actually serious about it.
Clara Evans (Getty)
“I used to be aiming for Valencia on the finish of the 12 months in order that was my thought course of. My primary intention was the Europeans. I’ve been doing somewhat little bit of marathon prep however not totally but it surely was clearly sufficient to get by means of.”
Evans completed ninth within the European half-marathon in Rome in June in 70:06. So she has been in good condition this summer season.
Ladies’s marathon (Getty)
“I simply needed to run sturdy,” she stated. “The wheels got here off about 35km however that’s to be anticipated while you’ve not performed a full marathon construct up. I simply needed to attempt to hold going for so long as doable and after I was the primary Brit, I simply needed to attempt to maintain on to that.”
On her standing as a super-sub, she added: “I might not be as quick as the opposite ladies however I’m positively sturdy and I’m good on the more durable programs and really decided. I don’t like folks telling me ‘no’ and folks inform me ‘no’ I wish to show them flawed and I really feel I’ve performed that within the final couple of years and now I simply need to hold going.”
Clara Evans (Getty)
Filled with smiles on the finish of 26 gruelling miles, she stated: “I may see a great deal of Welsh flags. I noticed a few of my household with 2km to go, too. They don’t typically come to see me run as they’re at all times taking care of my canine (a Siberian Husky referred to as Bella). However they couldn’t miss this chance so that they flew out.”
Was her fiancé Paul supporting? “He was on the hill to attempt to hold me going!” she stated.
READ MORE: Sifan Hassan sprints to marathon glory
On her instant plans, she stated: “I used to be nearly to begin my marathon prep for Valencia. This includes going to Font Romeu so I feel I’ll stick with it with that plan. I feel I’m sooner than my 2:25 PB however I must show it by placing it right into a race.”
Try our Paris 2024 podcast…
» Subscribe to AW journal right here