Brits’ victory hopes pricked in marathon double puncture

By Paul Carter

Great Britain’s top male and female wheelchair athletes suffered cruel luck at the 2010 London Marathon as punctures caused them both to miss out on victory.

David Weir and Shelley Woods, both former winners of the iconic race, were leading their respective fields with over half the 26.-mile distance already covered before the punctures struck.

Weir, who was aiming to win an unprecedented fifth London title, had established a lead of over a minute from nearest rival, Canadian Josh Cassidy, and looked set to win the race comfortably.

However, after picking up a puncture first in the front wheel, and then more seriously on the left, Weir slowed dramatically, allowing Cassidy to win his first London marathon in a time of 1:35.21.

Weir finished third, in a respectable 1:37.01. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug came second in 1:36.06.

I was trying my hardest [with the puncture], but it was like doing another 20 miles on top,” said Weir.

“I had a solid lead, three or four minutes in front, and normally you would stop but I only kept going because I was so far ahead.”

A similar fate befell Shelley Woods in the women’s race, who, like Weir, had fought to the front of the field.

Woods’s puncture was even more severe than Weir’s, and forced the 2007 champion to slow to a crawl for the final five miles of the race, eventually finishing in sixth in 2:45.40, 53 minutes behind the race winner, Tsuchida Wakako from Japan who beat Sandra Graf of Switzerland and Amanda McGrory of the USA in a sprint finish over the final 200m.

Picture: Michael Preston/Creative19.com