Marathon first-timer beats four hour mark (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Marathon first-timer beats four hour mark

IT'S a brave shout to complete the London Marathon but to complete it in under four hours, aged 53 and with no previous running experience, is a tremendous achievement.

Rosie Vestey, mother of three grown up children, whose husband, Mark, has been wheelchair-bound for 24 years, following a riding accident, took up the challenge to run as part of the seven-strong team representing Wheelpower, British Wheelchair Sport, of which Mark is president.

Rosie, whose home is Foxcote Manor, near Andoversford, is co-chairman of the London committee of Wheelpower.

At a meeting last year of Sporting Chance, the fund raising branch of the charity, she agreed to be part of the team at a time when a great deal of money had to be raised for the rebuilding of the huge sports centre for disabled people at Stoke Mandeville.

"I'd never run before but I was able to do it because of Graham Hilditch of Tetbury who is the best personal trainer on the planet. He started from scratch and worked very hard to get me to that speed.

I was determined to do it in under four hours so that all our supporters and sponsors could see how hard we had trained. I was equal fastest on the team. It really was a miracle and one of the best days of my life."

To date the team and the eight individuals who also ran for Wheelpower have raised in excess of a quarter of a million pounds for the sports centre.

"We had a massive response nationwide but my Gloucestershire friends were particularly supportive. My nightmare was that I'd not make it to the start and let them down.

"The very specific training for the marathon really took over my life. I would love to continue running, but perhaps not so far as it's so very time consuming," she said.