Since the middle of March there have been no official races pretty much anywhere in the world, due to the coronavirus outbreak. However there have been plenty of virtual events and challenges, and on Saturday Gade Valley Harrier Alistair Flowers hosted the Lockdown 24-hour Virtual Race.
The event gave entrants the opportunity to complete as many five mile “laps” as they could in 24 hours, whether it be outdoors, in the garden, or on a treadmill, with a view to raising money for charity.
In total 14 runners took part in the challenge – including one participant in Australia – and seven were from GVH.
The outright winner was Jenna Dagger, from Scotland, who completed eight laps and clocked up a total of 40 miles by running for over twelve hours.
Harriers Maria Kenny and Anita Berwick both completed 35 miles, with Kenny taking just four hours, forty-two minutes and fifty-six seconds to do so on a cross-trainer in her shed. Berwick took 6:57:33 as she took to the roads and trails local to Hemel Hempstead.
David Goodman also ran locally and managed a total of 25-miles in 3:25:46. Teresa Reason and husband Chris ran the whole length of the Greensands Ridge trail as a relay. Teresa completed 25-miles in 3:46:50 and Chris clocked a total of 20 in 2:53:15.
Helen Heathcote stayed local and ran 15-miles in 2:45:42, while Flowers (3:21:38) walked the same distance, near to his house, after picking up an injury in the build-up to the event.
