A gran aged 81 has told how she ran three marathons in a week… and has no plans to stop just yet.
Hilary Wharam took part in the Rob Burrow race on Sunday May 14, followed by another one the next day and a third the following weekend, without any training.
She finished the one in honour of stricken rugby legend Rob in eight hours, eight minutes. Hilary said: “I’d have been quicker but I was shepherding a young woman round from mile eight. I held the lady’s hand as we crossed the finishing line, she was exhausted by her efforts.”
When asked what preparation Hilary, of Leeds, had done for her week’s efforts, she replied: “None. I don’t need to as I generally do an average of two marathons a month.
“Occasionally, I might run over the nearby hills to the supermarket and walk or bus back. That’s not training, it’s fun.”
Hilary, who took up running in 1996, has now done 177 marathons, including the London one in 1997.
She added: “It’s no big deal. I aim to notch up 300 marathons then I’ll slow down. There’s no point settling at 200, as I’ll reach that within the year. It was lovely to take part in Rob’s marathon. ”
That marathon in Leeds will be best remembered for former rugby league star, Rob 40, being carried over the finishing line by his ex-Leeds Rhinos team-mate Kevin Sinfield, 42. It raised funds for the fight against motor neurone disease, which struck down Rob in 2019.
Mum-of-two Hilary won a Guinness World Record in 2019 for running 10 marathons in 10 days.
A member of Horsforth Harriers in Leeds, she said: “I have two bum bags for a marathon, filled with cheese, crisps, a chocolate bar, biscuits and a drink.”
