CITY of Salisbury’s ultra long distance running specialist Phil Smith tackled Britain’s longest annual non-stop race.
He covered a gruelling 145 miles from Birmingham to London along the towpath of the winding Grand Union Canal.
With clubmate Ian Shelley and a 100 others, he made a steady start southwards from Gas Street Basin, Birmingham in the knowledge that even if he ran well, around 40 hours of effort lay ahead.
Shelley decided to give it best during the first half, one of the dozens who failed to finish.
But Smith, who by way of contrast regularly completes the 5k Salisbury parkrun in little more than 20minutes, doggedly stuck to his task and eventually crossed the line at Little Venice in central London in 38hours 37mins.
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