2017 London Marathon

Lisa Weightman has delivered another world class performance, taking fifth place at the 2017 London Marathon and running 2:25:15, a big personal best, to move to #3 all time on the Australian marathon rankings.  Weightman’s performance is the fastest by an Australian in 11 years and came racing in the one of the strongest marathon fields ever assembled.  Undaunted by the fact that nine women on the start line had run 2:21 or better, Weightman set off at a strong, calculated pace going through 15km in the second pack with fellow Australian Olympian Jess Trengove. Out front Kenyan Mary Keitany was well under world record pace for much of the race. Before halfway Lisa moved away from the pack, hitting the halfway split in 72:26. Ahead of her, athletes were paying for the early pace and Weightman would spend the second half reeling in those who went out too hard.  Her pace never faltering, Weightman moved into the top 5 in the last couple of kilometres and ran strongly past Buckingham Palace and down the mall alone to the acclaim of the large crowd. The 2:25:15 breaks her own MUAC Record set at the 2013 Melbourne Marathon.

Al Bryant Smith, MUAC legend abroad, took time out from her work at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital to run a very impressive 3:18 with an unconventional training program based around continental holidays and not much long running.

Results