Farmer from Rockhampton completes ultra marathon for Heart of Bristol Appeal (From Gazette Series)

Farmer from Rockhampton completes ultra marathon for Heart of Bristol Appeal

3:49pm Tuesday 7th July 2009 in

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NINE hours, 44 miles, 93 competitors, 15 drop outs and one broken ankle.

This was the ultra marathon race that farmer Rob Watkins completed to raise money for the Heart of Bristol Appeal.

Despite only joining a running club one year ago, this was Rob’s third event of the year, having previously completed two standard 26-mile marathons and he said he still has some energy left.

"The race went really well," said Mr Watkins, who is eagerly awaiting the birth of his first child in October. "I really enjoyed it. It got pretty warm during the day, which was tough going.

"I was a bit sore after but I still had plenty of energy the next day."

Mr Watkins, of Rockhampton, was running the marathon in memory of his mother-in-law Pam Freeman, who died earlier this year and was treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Through sponsorship he has raised over £1,100 for the Heart of Bristol Appeal which is helping to enhance the new Bristol Heart Institute currently under construction.

The heart institute will treat thousands of patients from the South West when it is complete.

The race, held in Cornwall, was the length of almost two full marathons and took competitors along some demanding coastal paths.

Mr Watkins, 39, competed the race in nine hours 11 minutes and bagged himself an impressive 12th place out of 93 competitors. The tough challenge forced 15 entrants to give up and one was airlifted out of the race with a broken ankle.

Mr Watkins, a member of Thornbury Running Club, hasn’t finished yet though, as he has his eye on a 56 mile race for next year.

"When I started running I never thought I would be running a marathon a year later. I started with the Bristol Half and thought ‘that was fun’ so I moved on to a full marathon.

"When you are running with other people you realise you can do more than you thought. I guess I have been bitten by the running bug."