London Marathon 2007
CELEBRITY chef, Gordon Ramsey, described it as like running in a desert. World Cup rugby winner, Matt Dawson, said conditions were "brutal". One thing was for certain, this year's Flora London Marathon was no cakewalk as temperatures hit 21 centigrade at midday, equalling the 1996 record, rising slightly higher in the afternoon.
Twenty five Stubbies braved the sweltering heat among 36,301 runners. St John Ambulance said it treated 5,032 people, and of these 73 were sent to hospital for further treatment.
Zippy Grice was the first Stubby to finish in Birdcage Walk in a time of 2hrs 56min 30sec for 595th and 138th Vet35. Mike Bainbridge was not far behind in 2:58.22 for 733rd (Vet40, 144th).
Richard Thomas enjoyed a rare run-out in Stubbington colours and was rewarded with a time of 3:09.28 for 1,410th (Vet40,309th).
There was huge disappointment for Graham Bell who came mightily close to finishing but who had to pull out within sight of the finish. "I got pulled out after 26 miles within 500 yds of the finish.
After three attempts by the St John's to help me out, on the fourth "collapse" I was counted out," said Graham, who was raising money for Parkinson's Disease Society.
"I got to 20 miles bang on seven min miling. Then it all went to pot. I struggled through mile by mile until mile 25, and then it went wrong big time!
"I spent two hours in recovery in St John's base outside Buckingham Palace, and two hours at University College Hospital. I'm feeling OK now, just about. A bit sore and a bit of a "prat"."
For the ladies, Lucy Simmons was the highest place Stubbington runner, managing to claim a respectable time of just under the four hour mark with 3:59.07 for 1,474th in the ladies' race and 305th Vet 30.
Eighty-year-old Michael Aimable, competing in his final London Marathon, battled hard to finish in a time of 6:42.36 for 24,406th and fourth Vet80.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey was among a number of famous faces to run - and suffer - in the heat.
"It was like running in a desert today. I stopped to help one guy. It was quite bad. They were dropping like flies," he said.
Other competitors included model Nell McAndrew, Olympic hurdle champion Sally Gunnell, wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan and rugby star Matt Dawson.
Michelle Dewberry, winner of the BBC television show The Apprentice last year, said she saw someone who had collapsed being resuscitated after about four miles.
She said: "I have seen lots of people passed out and being resuscitated. It is scary, scary stuff."
Matt Dawson, a members of England 's rugby World Cup team, said the conditions were "brutal".
"I have seen it has really had an effect on some people. It just stops you in your tracks when you see people pass out in front of you," he said.
Kenya's Martin Lel won the men's race in 2:07.41 an upset for favourites Haile Gebreselassie and reigning world marathon record holder Paul Tergat. The UK 's number one, Jon Brown, withdrew because of sickness.
Favourite Chunxiu Zhou from China won the women's race in 2:21.38, while Briton Dave Weir retained his wheelchair title.
The St John Ambulance first aid charity provided some 1,400 volunteers, 50 ambulances and 59 treatment centres for the race.
Earlier, London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel said that more than 100 doctors were out on the course, including some of the world's leading medical experts.
Organisers installed four run-through showers along the route and added an extra 2,600 bottles of water to the normal stock of 25,000 bottles at each station to help runners deal with the high temperatures.
Stubbington times:
595th Zippy Grice 2:56.30 (Vet35, 168).
733rd Mike Bainbridge 2:58.22 (Vet40, 144)
1410th Richard Thomas 3:09.38 (Vet40, 309)
3226th Dave King 3:29.24 (Vet40, 677)
3536th Jon Leigh 3:32.03 (Vet45, 498)
4286th Eric Beck 3:38.26 (Vet45, 593)
4593rd John Flynn 3:40.40 (Vet45, 625)
6184th Ben Whittaker 3:51.32 (Vet30, 1153)
6354th Nick Kimber 3:52.39 (Vet45, 869)
9369th John Fairhurst 4:11.14 (Vet60, 131)
10,741st Ian Street 4:18.56 (Vet45, 1361)
11,223rd Marcus Lee 4:21,27 (Vet35, 2163)
11,605th Aitken Hunter 4:23.33 (Vet50, 852)
15,215th Simon Holford 4:44.01 (Vet35, 2888)
15,744th Nick Davies 4:47.03 (Vet40, 2794)
24,323rd Andrew Willis 6:36.17 (Vet40, 4052)
24,406th Michael Aimable 6:42.36 (Vet80, 4).
1474th Lucy Simmons 3:59.07 (Vet30, 305)
2872nd Kay Sadler 4:23.44 (Vet25, 554)
4518th Lauren Coates 4:46.23 (Vet20, 270)
7369th Amanda Humphrey 5:24.38 (Vet40, 1252)
7469th Tracie Jarvis 5:26.07 (Vet35, 1372)
8224th Kath McKain 5:38.07 (Vet40, 1388)
9878th Heather Bowers 6:20.17 (Vet25, 2044)