Former middle-distance runner goes for half-marathon wheelchair document with the assistance of ex-athletes corresponding to Ryan McLeod and Matt Bond
Drew Graham, a promising British middle-distance runner whose profession ended after a spinal wire harm, is teaming up with half a dozen long-time operating pals to focus on a Guinness world document on the AJ Bell Nice North Run on September 7.
Graham and the squad are aiming to run 75 minutes for the 13.1-mile occasion to get the document for “the quickest half marathon pushing a wheelchair by a crew (male)”.
The runners will take it in turns throughout the race to push Graham’s wheelchair for one minute earlier than having 5 minutes of much less strenuous operating to get better earlier than their subsequent effort.
The crew contains former British half-marathon champion Ryan McLeod, former GB worldwide marathoner Matt Bond, duathlete Alex Smith, ex-athletes Matt Nicholson and Nick Hooker – the latter being an AW cowl star in 2014 – plus Graham’s brother, Jonathan, a former English Faculties medallist earlier than turning to the fells.
The crew accomplished the Nice North Run in simply exterior two hours in 2023 after which improved to 86 minutes in 2024. “The primary time I did it, I needed to be talked into it as I wasn’t taking a lot curiosity within the sport on the time and didn’t need to be simply pushed round a course,” says Graham. “However then I actually loved it with my brother, Ryan and the opposite lads.”
McLeod has returned to severe coaching after well being points reduce quick his aggressive athletics profession in 2016 and he provides: “Seventy-five minutes is a good time for many, however we’ve got to do it while pushing 100kg so actually have to be in form for it!”
Graham’s function will probably be much like a cox in a rowing occasion on race day and he’s optimistic that the crew can no less than run round 80 minutes. Amongst different issues, they’ve finished earlier races utilizing a fundamental wheelchair, whereas this time they’ve an improved machine, whereas Graham provides: “Half the lads hadn’t run for about six years after we did two hours on our first effort!’
After they accomplished the course in 86 minutes, Graham says: “It was moist and the duct tape stopped working and my toes got here off the chair and we needed to cease a couple of instances so we in all probability misplaced two or three minutes.”
Graham broke his C4 vertebrae after he dived right into a reservoir in Denver simply over a decade in the past. His PBs included 1:49.14 and three:40.95 for 800m and 1500m representing Gosforth Harriers earlier than learning in the US. However he has since turned his attentions to creating “ Health club Doable”, which goals to present wheelchair customers particularly designed gymnasium services within the North East of England.
Graham provides: “Except one thing massively goes flawed, we must always no less than break 80 minutes. For nearer to 75 minutes, issues might want to go completely however the guys have been coaching exhausting and are bettering, so let’s see.
“The Nice North Run is kind of hilly as properly. We might have chosen a flatter course however we wished to do it up right here as a result of it’s so significant to us.”
Certainly, McLeod’s father, Mike, gained the primary two Nice North Run males’s races in 1981-82.
“It’s uncharted territory for us however there’s been a number of camaraderie to this point,” provides Graham.
See extra at Health club Doable right here.
