Hardy Dacorum & Tring trio make their ultra marathon debuts

Four Dacorum & Tring AC Road Runners took on the Stort30 challenge – a 30-mile ultra marathon – with three of them debuting in the ultra-running distance for the first time.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Oct 2015, 09:00 BST
Ania Gabb, Kelly Du Buisson, Samantha Hawkridge and Duncan Hamilton tackled the Stort30 challengeAnia Gabb, Kelly Du Buisson, Samantha Hawkridge and Duncan Hamilton tackled the Stort30 challenge
Ania Gabb, Kelly Du Buisson, Samantha Hawkridge and Duncan Hamilton tackled the Stort30 challenge

Duncan Hamilton, Kelly Du Buisson, Ania Gabb and Samantha Hawkridge travelled to Bishop’s Stortford for the race, doubling as the UK Trail Running Middle Distance Championship, and which involved a 15-mile riverside run up – and then back down – the River Stort.

Duncan, an accomplished ultra runner, was taking on his fifth ultra, and finished in a fabulous sixth place (fifth male) in 3h 49m.

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All three ladies, meanwhile, were taking on their first ultra challenge and ran brilliantly on the day.

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Kelly and Ania ran together for the entire 30 miles, finishing joint-fourth in the ladies’ race in a time of 4.26, and said they “weirdly enjoyed it, even though the last five miles felt like 50.”

Sam, whose watch froze at 20 miles, preventing her from logging her time, was thrilled to achieve a long-held goal, and proud to have run every step of the way.

Duncan’s result gave him fifth place overall in the men’s event in the 2015 UK Trail Running Middle Distance Championships, covering off-road races between 50 and 100km, while Ania and Kelly grabbed joint-fourth place in the women’s category.

All three are likely to be bumped up towards the podium when the age group placings are announced later this week.