British and English national marathon championships start for Alastair Pickburn and Valeria Sesto at London Marathon

LOCAL athletes and running teammates Alastair Pickburn and Valeria Sesto performed excellently at the London Marathon.

They lined up for the British and English national marathon championships after achieving a qualifying standard in the last two years despite the recently adjusted time requirements.

New Forest Runners’ Pickburn and Lymington Athletes’s Valeria Sesto, who also races for the New Forest Runners and Lymington Triathlon Club, have been sharing training turf, knowledge and championships for many years.

They are also relations through marriage after b panoth marrying into the Cosby family.

This year, 53,802 paced the capital’s streets, making it the largest London Marathon since the event started in 1981.

The British and English national championship runs alongside and during the London Marathon yearly.

It is for British or British residents who run for a British or English running or athletics club and have achieved a qualifying standard within two years.

The standards – an out-right qualifying standard, regardless of age – have been tightened recently, as more people seem to be getting faster with more knowledge, research and popularity of the sport.

Pickburn and Sesto had to re-qualify after a long break following the Covid-19 pandemic. The former did so in the Manchester Marathon 2023, running a 2:37:49, while Sesto ran the Gosport Half Marathon in November 2022 in 1:24, which got her a place for London 2023, where she ran 2:57:58, gaining a new qualifying time for 2024.

She had an even better day at this year’s race, beating her time by nearly three minutes, crossing in 2:55:01, with Pickburn running 2:39:22.

Al Pickburn, who has run London nine times, eight of those within the championship start, said: “The support is off the scale; I was holding back tears crossing Tower Bridge.

“It got hard towards the end. Between 17 and 21 miles, I wasn’t sure what time I was on for, but by 23 miles, I figured if I could put in a steady parkrun time, I might sneak under 2:40.

“The legs complained a lot but held it together to cross the line in 02:39:22 – roll on 2025, and London number 10!”

Valeria Sesto said: “I just don’t know how I ran as I ran. It’s pretty mind-blowing to be getting older yet faster.

“I don’t do anything different. I have just been consistent and listened to my body more while having a relaxed approach to training and life with my husband.

“It does hurt the whole way, yet mentally, it feels so much easier. It’s just a consecutive amount of parkruns, all eight at once, plus the final stretch.

“The Embarkment is absolutely incredible; one of my favourite moments ever!”

At the finish line, Hordle’s Kate Chapman, London Marathon’s head of sustainability, who has special access to many areas at the event, was waiting for Sesto, her friend and marathon coach.

Sesto added: “The time is so close to the times I used to hit when I was younger, stronger and so much fitter. It used to feel so hard then. Now, despite hurting all the way, it feels easy. How?...

“The London Marathon is magical; the roaring crowds, the booming competitors, the energy of the atmosphere, the beauty of the city.

“The pace is so fast you get drawn into it. Suddenly, just like this, you find yourself along the river, my favourite part of it all, picking up the pace, faster and faster, taking it all in, going towards that twisty finish line.

“Simply magnificent – I’d do it all over again just for that final stretch.”

Another local runner who took part in the marathon within the masses was New Forest Runner Kim Walsh.

She said: “It was my third London and overall fifth marathon, and I completed it in three hours and 54 minutes, 20 minutes off my PB last year in Manchester.

“I loved running the London Marathon – the crowds were loud and wild and a little intense in parts, but great support and atmosphere overall.”