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Sponsors join the runners
October 17th 2007
LEICESTER Marathon sponsor Kirby and West showed its commitment to the event and its own healthy lifestyle campaign by entering a team of runners in Sunday's half-marathon.
But whilst Gurlal Singh (33), Steve Coles (35) and Kevin Wright (47) completed the race, achieving times of 1:43:32, 1:57:54 and 2:28:16 respectively, the fourth intended member of the team, director Graham Smith, had to satisfy himself with just cheering them on at the start and finishing lines.
Graham, himself a keen runner and member of Barrow Runners, was advised not to run the race, after taking part in the 30th annual LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon the previous weekend. The event turned out to be the warmest Chicago Marathon in history, with temperatures soaring into the 80s. One runner lost their life and more than 300 required hospital treatment after tackling the race amid blistering heat and humidity, and organisers took a decision to end the race early.
Despite this, Graham managed to complete the full 26 miles in 5:14:24.
"Obviously I was disappointed not to be able to do the Leicester Marathon, but I'm sure there'll be opportunities in the future, especially if the race is to return to the city on a more regular basis," he said. "I was one of the lucky ones in the Chicago race and am just glad to have made it without needing medical attention! All around me, there were people fainting from heat exhaustion."
