In-form Phil Anthony has London Marathon debut to remember
by Kevin
Redsull
Former Deal Tri Club member
Phil Anthony produced a stunning performance in the Virgin London
Marathon on Sunday.
Running his first ever marathon, the 30-year-old Canterbury
Christ Church University student finished 20th in a time of 2hrs
16mins 40secs, which is only 40 seconds outside the Great Britain
‘B’ standard qualifying time for this year’s Olympic Games.
It left race officials and
journalists scrabbling to find out background information on the
former St Edmunds RC School pupil, who was the third British runner
home in the massive field.
He admitted: "I was more surprised
than anyone to be honest. I wasn’t expecting to achieve anywhere
near that time and it still hasn’t really sunk in yet."
He has won a string of 10k and
half-marathon events, but he had never attempted the 26 miles 385
yards of the marathon before the weekend.
He said: "After about 17 miles I
was really starting to feel it but then I went into a sort of
‘tunnel vision’ and it was quite a weird experience.
"I was in a bit of a daze and I was
just trying to focus on the road in front of me, but I got an
incredible reception coming to the finish in The Mall."
Anthony, who lives at Ashford, is
coached by Peter Mullervy of the Invicta East Kent Club and he
said: "To produce that kind of performance is your first marathon
is absolutely awesome."
26/04/12
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