Falklands : New Record for Most Southerly Marathon
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 15.03.2010 (Article Archived on 29.03.2010)
Appalling weather can bring out the worst in many runners but for Stephen Frear, RAF, stationed at Mount Pleasant, it brought out the best.
NEW RECORD FOR MOST SOUTHERLY MARATHON
By J. Brock (FINN)
Left to right – Paul Martinez, Stephen Frear and Donny Donosepoetro
Appalling weather can bring out the worst in many runners but for Stephen Frear, RAF, stationed at Mount Pleasant, it brought out the best. He finished the Standard Chartered Bank Stanley Marathon in a remarkable 2 hours, 43 minutes and 5 seconds – a new course record. Billed as the most southerly marathon in the world, the annual event started with 124 entrants with 40 individual runners and 21 relay teams. Though the weather was fierce, with heavy blowing drizzle, strong wind gusts and bitter cold, overwhelming numbers finished the course and received commemorative medals.
In his welcoming speech at the prize giving Standard Chartered Bank Stanley Branch CEO, Mr Donny Donosepoetro mentioned the sterling work of his staff in the organisation of the event and for their participation as marshals and time keepers, etc. He went on to say that the charity “Seeing is Believing,” since 2003 has funded sight for one million people with preventable blindness and that the charity wants to raise $20 Million so that 10 Million people in over 20 countries can receive their sight back. The total raised by this event was £3,500.00.
Paul Martinez, representing FIG and who presented the prizes, passed on his congratulations and admiration to everyone who took part. “I can’t make a promise to take part next year because I won’t be here for the marathon,” he said. He passed on his thanks to Donny and his staff for organising the marathon and to the marshals who stood out in all weather, unable to do anything more to keep warm.
Prior to handing out the Inter-Service Trophy, Commodore Thickness, CBSAI, mentioned he was grateful for modern communications because it took a while for the first marathon runner to deliver a message and bring back the reply.
The first prize given was a Challenge Trophy to Teslyn Barkman for being the first Falklands-born runner across the finish line in 4:08:33. Mike Summers would have presented the Trophy but he wasn’t present and Donny Donosepoetro presented the prize.
A trophy for the Inter-Service Relay Race was presented to a team from the Ghurkha Regiment by Commodore Thicknesse. The Ghurkhas achieved a time of 3:05:37.
In the Relay Race 1st was the Falkland Islands Football Club “B” Team in 3:03:49. Taking 2nd place were the Ghurkhas (3:05:37) and 3rd was a team from the Logistic SP Squadron, taking 3:08:51 to cross the finish line.
The ladies’ Open winner was Teslyn Barkman (4:08:33) and 2nd was Lindsay Sutcliffe in 4:52:22. Coming in 3rd was Sarah Preston in 5:37:16.
Men’s Open was won by Stephan Frear in 2:43:05 with the runner up being Martin Collins in 3:21:29 and 3rd was Ben Stait in 3:24:33.
Also completing the Standard Chartered Bank Stanley marathon was blind runner Henry Wanyoike and his guide Joseph Kibunja. Henry had just completed a marathon in Germany before coming here so he had been acclimatised.
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