Charlotte Purdue motivated after catching Covid-19 in Oregon

British athlete gunning for new personal best on home turf at 42nd TCS London Marathon

Charlotte Purdue’s recent journey in athletics has not been straightforward.

Before the Tokyo Olympics, the 31-year-old was refused a discretionary place in the marathon even though she had a medical exemption to miss the Olympic trials a few months earlier.

Then, earlier this summer, at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, Purdue pulled out of the race at 19km due to breathing difficulties. A day later she tested positive for Covid-19.

It’s been tough for Purdue but at last year’s TCS London Marathon, she proved a point after clocking a stunning personal best of 2:23:26 to go what was then third on the UK all-time marathon list behind Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi.

It was the fastest marathon by a female Brit since Yamauchi’s 2:23:12 in 2009. Since then, Jess Piasecki has gone ahead of Purdue after running 2:22:27 in Seville back in February.

Even though Purdue dropped out of the marathon in Oregon, she ran 2:25:26 at the Boston Marathon and definitely isn’t short of mileage going into her fourth TCS London Marathon.

“I feel pretty good,” Purdue says. “I still did the training for the worlds so I still had all that work in my legs. It has been a busy year for me and Boston was pretty busy for me.

“Last year I had a few niggles earlier in the year. London was my first marathon build-up and I’ve now had three marathons in the space of less than a year. Although I’ve had illnesses this year I haven’t had any injuries so I feel a lot stronger with London, Boston and the build-up to the world championships. I feel like I haven’t had any time off so I’m definitely not unfit!

“Every time I come here [London] I try to run faster but it’s hard to get a two minute personal best every year.”

Purdue’s wants to use the experience of a heartbreaking time in Oregon as motivation to run even faster in London than she did last year.

She lines-up against a strong elite field, which even without world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and Eilish McColgan, hosts defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei and the fastest-ever female marathon debutante Yalemzerf Yehualaw.

Joyciline Jepkosgei (Getty)

Last year, Purdue recorded a personal best even after running 12 miles by herself. If Purdue sticks in a pack for a longer period, who knows what she might clock?

“My chest was so tight [at the world…