A TRIO of runners from Moffat were loving London at the weekend as they experienced Marathon mania.
Fellow Annan and District Athletic Club members Elaine Kennedy-Walton and Liz Smith are buzzing after successfully finishing the 26.2 mile race and collecting their official medals.
But it was hard going for Liz, who faced a battle in the second half of the marathon after tripping at mile 15 and hurting her knee.
Despite the pain, she carried on, helped by the kindness of fellow runners — and found the strength to keep going, inspired by the bravery and determination of others out on the course and boosted by her family along the route.
Liz said: “If you want to run a marathon, London is the one. An unforgettable experience.”
Meanwhile, Elaine cites her highlight as walking over Tower Bridge, where she made sure to take her time to really soak up the atmosphere.
The heat made it a tough day but she kept going and described how crossing the finish line “made it all worthwhile”.
Another Moffat runner who travelled to the capital was Morgan O’Neill, who was doing her third marathon in a time of four hours and five minutes.
And she described this one as “by far the hardest but also the best!”, adding: “The crowd was fantastic and running across Tower Bridge was iconic.
“Although it was far too hot for a Scottish lassie, and I was in a world of pain during the last few miles, I loved it.”
In fact, she had such a good time that she has already entered the ballot again for next year.
