Brit takes an astonishing six minutes off of PB and goes sixth on UK all-time list
Samantha Harrison produced one of the best runs of her career and took apart her previous marathon best of 2:32:22 in the process at the TCS London Marathon (April 23).
The 28-year-old clocked 2:25:59 to finish 11th in a race which saw Sifan Hassan make one of the greatest comebacks in marathon history to claim a maiden title on debut in 2:18:33.
For Harrison, it was about running her own race and going inside the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:26:50. The qualification period is between November 1 2022 and April 30 2024, meaning Harrison is now in a prime position for Paris.
She also aims to represent Great Britain on the track in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest this summer.
Harrison, who recently went fourth on the UK half marathon all-time list at the Berlin Half (April 2), recording a mark of 67:17, and paid tribute to her coaching team after a remarkable run over 26.2 miles in the British capital.
Samantha Harrison (LM Events)
“You just never know with the marathon, it’s about what you do on the day,” she said. “I just felt good with the majority of the race and that last eight or nine miles is always a tester. I did go off at a slightly quick pace but I felt good. When you’re on your own it’s tough but I go through it.
“The training is all set-up for the Paris Olympics next year and I’ve managed to nail the marathon standard today.
“The crowd was incredible and really do get you through. I had friends and family in the background and that makes it full of pleasure. They are all around that last five or six miles and you’ve just go to get the adrenaline to put your through.”
What a stunning run from Samantha Harrison 🔥
The Brit produces a brilliant run at @LondonMarathon and goes sixth best on the UK all-time list 🇬🇧
She’s smashed around six minutes off her PB 🤯
The time is 2:25:59 💥#LondonMarathon
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 23, 2023
In going sixth on the UK all-time list, Harrison is now only behind Paula Radcliffe, Jess Piasecki, Mara Yamauchi, Charlotte Purdue and Veronique Marot.
With plans to do the Valencia Marathon on December 3, one of the quickest in the world, you wouldn’t bet against Harrison taking at least another few minutes off her 2:25 mark.
Harrison’s 5km splits in London were: 16:48, 34:06, 51:18, 68:21, 1:25:09, 1:42:37, 2:00:32, 2:18:15 to a finish of 2:25:29.
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