TAVISTOCK Athletic Club’s Sam Lake ran her third London Marathon this year, having qualified for the UK Championships — leaving the start line shortly after the elite male runners.

It was Sam’s eighth marathon and she set a personal best of 3.09.06, knocking more than five minutes off her previous best set last year. She managed to fit more than 50 hours of training a week around being a full time primary school teacher and mum.

Sam said: ‘I found the experience amazing. It is incredible how loud the support and cheering is and this helps towards keeping positive.’