British runner overcomes illness to place 30th in a race won by Amane Beriso from fellow Ethiopian and defending champ Gotytom Gebreslase
Natasha Cockram’s final preparations for the World Championships marathon were hit by illness at the GB holding camp in Slovakia, but she battled home in the intense heat of Budapest on Saturday morning to finish a fine 30th in 2:35:34.
With Amane Beriso and Gotytom Gebreslase sealing an Ethiopian one-two at the front of the field in 2:24:23 and 2:24:34 respectively, Cockram ran a lonely race for much of the 26.2 miles as Britain’s solitary competitor in the marathons at these championships.
Yet after her illness-hit build-up she was satisfied with her result.
“I had a bit of a rocky time in holding camp where I picked up a cough and a cold,” she explained, “but the medical team did such a great job to get me back on to the start line in one piece so a big shout out to them.”
She added: “It’s getting better each day. I travelled into Budapest quite late compared to the rest of the team just to stay in the holding camp a bit longer.”
Natasha Cockram (Getty)
The race started and finished in the majestic Heroes Square about 6km from the National Athletics Centre where the track and field action has unfolded all week.
At halfway Keira D’Amato of the United States led in 74:29 with Cockram passing 13.1 miles in 75:56. “It wasn’t too bad for the first 10-12 miles,” said the Brit, “but then it really ramped up just as the pace was picking up, so there was a double whammy with the heat and pace.”
Soon afterwards Lonah Salpeter of Israel, the bronze medallist 12 months ago, pushed the pace for a spell as the lead group began to whittle down in size. A four-strong Ethiopian contingent was poised ominously, though, ready to strike. These included Amane Beriso, Gotytom Gebreslase, Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Tsehay Gemechu.
Marathoners mid-race in Budapest
Beriso was running with ‘Shankule’ on her singlet, which is the second part of her surname, although she is widely known as Beriso and made a name for herself last December when she won the Valencia Marathon in 2:14:58, the third quickest time in history, before then finishing runner-up to Hellen Obiri at the Boston Marathon in the spring.
Gebreslase, meanwhile, was defending the marathon title she won in much cooler conditions in Eugene last year. Yehualaw won the London Marathon in 2022, while Gemechu holds a PB of 2:16:56.
Like Beriso, Cockram…
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