The 2013 Brathay Windermere Marathon and Brathay 10in10

Race report: Brathay Windermere Marathon & Brathay 10 in 10 - May 19, 2013

Photo: Brathay 10in10 runners celebrate

The 2013 Brathay 10in10, concluded on Sunday 19th May, amidst scenes of wild celebration amongst spectators and runners alike. In the 14 strong group of athletes, who made it to the end of the punishing event, was a 39-year-old veteran of the Brathay 10in10.

In a stunning performance, that delighted the large crowds, Dave ‘Foxy’ Bayley, from Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, became the first person to complete five, successive, Brathay 10in10 events. The amazing feat, which has seen Dave run 1,310 miles around Lake Windermere beats the previous record of four, set by Steve Edwards in 2010.

The Brathay 10in10 is organised by Brathay Trust, the national charity that improves the life chances of children and young people, and runs alongside its sister event the Brathay Windermere Marathon, as their annual, flagship, fundraisers.

Dave was delighted to have finished his fifth successive Brathay 10in10, he said: “I can’t believe I’ve done it and I don’t think it will sink in for a few days. It’s been an incredibly emotional experience, and I don’t think the record will be beaten soon.”

The question is will he return in 2014? “No,” insists Dave, “I’ll be back, but just to support the Class of 14 and, perhaps, run the Brathay Windermere Marathon. Five is enough for anyone!”

Running alongside ‘Foxy’ was the remarkable John McCann. The 61-year-old, from Morecambe, was the oldest runner in this year’s event and he completed each marathon in just over four hours.

Photos: 10 in10 runners line up ahead of 2013 final day. Dave 'Foxy' Bayley on his last circuit of Lake Windermere in the Brathay 10in10

The retired physiotherapist said: “This has been a huge challenge as, in some ways, you can’t prepare for it. You can put in the physical training but you can’t prepare mentally for the day-to-day slog. I’m proud that I’m still going and I feel quite strong. Hopefully, I may inspire other sexagenarian’s to get out, run and stay healthy.”

Mark Bushell from Brathay Trust said: “The Brathay 10in10 runners are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and they’ve had to put their lives on hold, for a year, in order to prepare for this event. Their heroic efforts will, importantly, help raise money for Brathay Trust so that we can inspire children and young people to engage positively in their communities.”

The overall winner of the Brathay 10in10 was 41-year-old Rik Vercoe, from Walton on Thames, in Essex. He came in with an aggregate time of 33:37:07.

Photos: Runners walking to the start, and the start of the 2013 Brathay Windermere Marathon

For the first time in the history of the event, the Brathay Windermere Marathon saw a local, male, winner. Marcus Scotney, a 38-years-old sports therapist from Kendal, stormed home ahead of the pack in a gut busting 02:38:50.

Marcus, who is an Ultra Runner for England and Team GB, was running only his third road marathon. He said: “I’ve always wanted to give the Brathay Windermere Marathon a go. I run two 100k events a year, and I’m ranked 7th in the world at 50K, but I have to say I found it extremely tough. The course is relentless, there’s no rest on the hills. I was going for a personal best but I realised, after only seven miles, that is wasn’t possible”.

The female winner was 40-year-old Nicola Shaw, from Tarporley, in Cheshire. She has only completed ten marathons, over the course of the last six years, and five of these have been Brathay Windermere Marathons. Incredibly this was her third victory in the event coming over the line in 03:08:59. “I love the scenery around the course,” she explained, “I don’t run many marathons but I keep being drawn back to this one.”

Mark Bushell concluded: “This has been another fantastic year and, once again, we’ve managed to draw runners from across the world, including Boston, in the USA. To get the first local winner, in the male category of the Marathon, was a particular highlight, as were the large crowds on site. The supporters had a fantastic day and, importantly, got the opportunity to find out about our charitable work with children and young people.”

Photos: The 2013 Brathay Windermere Marathon winners Marcus Scotney and Nicola Shaw

Men's results

Women's results

Click here for full results

10 in 10 results

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