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47 year old Gail Griffiths after setting a lifetime best of 37.53 for 10km and finishing in 13th spot out of more than 8000 women in Glasgow on Sunday.

Gail started running in 2003, when she felt her fitness for racing her 125 Honda in the Manx Grand Prix needed improving. She had got to know several of the athletes due to husband to be David's involvement in race walking, and found the local athletics scene to be friendly and encouraging to new competitors. Her first race was on 8 April 2003 (pictured above) when she completed the Dave Phillips Memorial two-mile race in the modest time of 16 minutes 52 seconds.

Her first 10k race was during the 2005 Easter Festival when she recorded a time of 48.59. After upping her training over the following winter, she reduced her 10k pb to 43.55 in the 2006 Easter Festival, and at that point she joined Andy Fox's training group. David tells the story: "Having travelled to the 2005 Island Games in Shetland as a supporter, she set herself a target of achieving selection for the 2007 event in Rhodes, and after putting in a lot of hard work she was selected for both the Half Marathon and 10000 metres races at the age of 42."

David continued: "Over the following two years she continued to improve hugely, and by the 2009 Island Games in Aland she had reduced her 10k pb to 39.14. In 2010, shortly after her 45th birthday, she clocked 85.07 in the Berlin Half Marathon to finish 20th woman out of over 6000. In the 2011 Island Games she achieved 6th and 5th place finishes in the Half Marathon and 10000 metres races respectively, and won a team gold medal along with Hannah Howard in the Half Marathon."

Defying her years, Gail's relentless progress continues to this day. After clocking big lifetime bests in the 3000 metres and 1500 metres races in the Northern League match the previous week, Gail achieved a sub-38 minute clocking for 10k for the first time last Sunday. Competing in a field of well over 8000 in the Glasgow Women's 10k race she went through the 5k mark in 19.07, before upping the pace in the second half of the race which she completed in 18.46. Her race time of 37.53 gave her a 13th place finish, and she won the V45 category by nearly a minute setting yet another big pb. Her 18.46 clocking for the second half of the race (which included a hill) was one second inside her 5k pb!

At the age of 47, Gail is showing no signs of slowing down, and feels there is still plenty more to come! (Photo by David Griffiths at 4 miles)

 

Lloyd Taggart was in dominant form again on Carraghan on Tuesday evening

RESULTS

Murray's photos

 

 

 

Manx fixtures at a glance below

click here for official fixture list

Date

Follow link for further details

Entry forms

17 May

Manx Harriers 5km walk

Not required

19 May

Race the Sun

Here

20 May

Up & Running Northern 10 Miles (and walk)

Not required

25 May

Up & Running Ramsey Park Runs round 3

Not required

6 June

Track 10,000 metres championships

Not required

11 June

Isle of Man Track & Field Open 2 of 3

Not available

12 June

Up & Running Ramsey Park Runs round 4

Not required

15 June

Dave Phillips Road Races round 4

Not required

17 June

Bradda Fell Race   (round 8 of the Rentokil league)

Not required

23 June

Manx Telecom Parish Walk

Here

29 June

Up & Running Ramsey Park Runs round 5

Not required

7 July

James Coulson Laxey Fell Race   (round 9 of the Rentokil league)

Not required

12 July

Manx Harriers 10km walk

Not required

13 July

Dave Phillips Road Races round 5   (date change)

Not required

14 & 15 July

Isle of Man Track & Field Championships

Not available

22 July

Salclear Isle of Man Marathon & Half Marathon

Here

23 July

Peel Hill Race

Not required

24 July

Northern 10 km (note date change)

Not required

26 July

Anna-Maria Cutillo Foxdale 6 Miles

Not required

27 July

Heritage Trail Race

Not required

1 August

Great South Run

Not available

4 August

North Barrule Fell Race   (round 10 of the Rentokil league)

Not required

13 August

Isle of Man Track & Field Open 3 of 3

Not available

2 September

Peel to Douglas Trail Race

Not required

23 September

End to End Walk

Here

29 September

Manx Mountain Marathon   (round 11 of the Rentokil league)

Here

I should be grateful if clubs would email any changes/corrections, sponsor's names, preferences for web pages to link to & details of entry forms when available to murray@manxathletics.com  Local fixtures only

Updated 3 February 2012

Dave Phillips Road Races Round 3  Bridget Kaneen feature     The ghost runner   20km walk champs   Jess Olympics confirmed   2012 Virgin London Marathon     Snaefell Fell Race     Easter Festival page  Dave Phillips Road Races round 1  Sara Killey Memorial 50km Walk results   Parish Walk prize winners   Up & Running Park Runs

manxathletics.com has been publishing for more than 11 years and you can find most of the archives on a (rather untidy) features page HERE

 

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