As we find our way through managing the Covid risk in road and track running and in wider life the racing menu had gradually reappeared over the summer in abbreviated form and with the autumn offering something closer to a full agenda of options. Indeed the World Marathon Majors are positively tripping over each other in a very narrow window over October and early November. Below is a selection of the results and progress made by runcoach1to1 coachees over recent months.

 Perhaps the best single result of the summer was by Paul Piper, winning the Lydd 20  miles in Kent in a course record of 1 hour 50.13, on a thankfully mild summer morning. He backed this up with 69.20 at the great north run  just ahead of Chris Oddy in 69.46 making a cautious comeback after long term injury.

Setting Pbs was Cara P,  notably 86.23 at the Dorney half and 18.42 on a hilly 5k in Essex. Returning after niggles was Chris W, getting back gradually to his level with 15.14 over a 5k road race. Also fine PBs after years of trimming his best by 46 year old Martin Green, the North Welsh whippet recording 5k in 15.59  and Half marathon PB of 72.11 in his marathon build up.  .

Well deserved Half PB of 75.20 for Isaac L at the big half. Further afield in New York, Jeremy Agnew now 45, clocked a very solid 56.44 in the undulating Bronx 10 miles race. 

The autumn marathon season started off very encouragingly in Berlin where on a warmer than ideal day Nick Impey dug in really impressively to score a PB of 2.28.11 and 50plus Gloria B came through in 3.47, to manage a 9 minute PB.

Just outside London a week later Cara Perretta ran a wonderfully even paced 3.07 at Dorney Lake, a 12 minute PB and second woman. 

Meanwhile within the London marathon itself, highlights included 49 year old Paul Cheetham came home in 2.38, whilst  62 year old Bob Empson trimmed his PB further to a neat 3.26. 39 year old stripling Paul P in training for Valencia sauntered round in a controlled 2.38,keeping his top gear in reserve. Andy Y with 2.53 just missed his PB as did Michael McD though at age 53 a 2.53 is very impressive racing. Another fine PB of 3.19 achieved by Megan A, particularly notable as it comes just 9 months after giving birth and a very meticulous return to fuller training.

In addition a rock solid 2.30 at Manchester marathon by Martin Green now 47, replicating his time from Cheshire in April. And a 9 minute PB of 3.06 by Andrew Gibb, the same day as an  outstanding 51.19 10 miles in Philadelphia by Martin O Connell, his best race of all while also over the classic Cabbage Patch 10 miles Chris Wright continued his return to better form with 51.48.Similarly returning herself after a catalogue of misfortune was Izzy C, a recent parkrun of 17.23 no doubt an initial step back towards her better form.