Vice President of Get Kids Going! and four times winner of the Men’s wheelchair race at the London Marathon, David Weir suffered two punctures, ending his hopes of winning the 2010 Virgin London Marathon.
Unfortunately, due to recently completed road works and the uneven nature of the surface along the 26.2 mile course, David picked up a puncture at the 15 mile mark and then one at 21 miles, effectively ending the chances of him winning the race. As David said “The first wasn't so bad as it was on the front of my wheelchair which isn't as much of a problem as there's not much weight on it. At the 21-mile marker, one of my rear tyres went completely flat and I knew it was game over. It was like doing an extra 10 miles”.
Leading at the half way mark at Tower Bridge, David was in a commanding position, holding a three minute lead over his nearest rival. However, as disaster struck shortly afterwards, it allowed some of the other competitors to overtake him near the finish and pip him to the coveted prize.
It was a cruel blow for David who had come into the race in top form. Along with the help of his coach, Jenny Archer and the charity Get Kids Going who kindly supply his racing wheelchair, David was in the best shape of his life. He saw the Virgin London Marathon as a way to show the world that he will be one of the hot favourites for a gold medal in the marathon event at the 2012 Olympics.
Despite the disappointment, David hopes to compete in next year’s race. If you would like to participate in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon for Get Kids Going then please click on the following link:
We would love to have you on our team!
