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Gill Fry
Date you joined Sutton Runners:
September 2007 I think?
Do you do any other sports?
An occasional game of tennis…which actually means I played twice a couple of years ago.
When did you start running?
2000 – I lived in Australia for three years and fitness is a massive part of their lives which eventually rubbed off on me. A friend convinced me to enter a race called City to Surf – I even had to get up at 5 to run before it got too hot, which to me is total dedication!
If an 8-year-old asked you why you ran, what would you say?
To run off the stresses of having to teach you all day.
Favourite race distance:
Probably ten miles but there is something quite special
about a marathon.
Favourite Event:
It has to be the London Marathon. The atmosphere,
scenery and buzz from the crowds makes all the weeks
of training worth it. Running over London Bridge reduces
me to tears – although last year just watching it made
me cry!
What motivates you?
Growing up I hated exercise and the only time you would
see me run would be for last orders at the bar. Nobody,
including myself, would ever have dreamed that one day
I would find a passion for running.
Favourite training session or route?
For me it has to be Richmond Park for the fantastic
scenery and normally quite good perving opportunities!
Favourite Food?
You can’t beat a roast dinner with all the trimmings –
and one day I may even have a go at cooking one.
Who / what inspires you?
My Granny – a very special person in my life who I adore.
Do you have any race rituals/superstitions?
No – maybe this is where I am going wrong!
If you had a time machine, where would you go and why?
I would go forward 40 years as I’m intrigued to know
what kind of old lady haircut I will have.
What do you have in your fridge right now?
I hate cooking so not a lot apart from mini eggs, vodka
and a large selection of sports drinks I seem to have
acquired!
What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up
in the morning?
Breakfast.
What do you do for a living?
Teacher in a primary school and before you say it, yes I
know we get a lot of holidays and I enjoy every single day
of them!
Any race tips:
Always wear waterproof mascara – panda eyes are so
not a good look.
Best race / Proudest achievement?
My third London Marathon – knocking an hour and a half
off my previous time was an amazing feeling.
Worst race?
Tadworth Ten – as much as I love hills, doing that one
twice is not what I call fun.
5 things people wouldn’t know about me
1 – I’ve been ‘wild in the aisles’ with Dale Winton on
Supermarket Sweep
2 – I’m a member of the Home and Away fan club
3 – I can’t burp
4 – Ken Barlow is my now, not so secret older man crush
5 – My family all call me Betty
Hopes for the future?
To stop being late for everything and that one day I will
learn when it is a good idea to stop drinking.
PBs
10k: 48.48 10m 1:22 half marathon 1:51
marathon 4:17