Marathon is almost a walk in the park for Jo

Jo Zakrzewski shouldn’t find today’s marathon too painful an experience.

Running just over 42km through the streets of Glasgow is nothing compared to spending nearly eight hours running 100k!

The 38-year-old Dumfries-based GP has also experienced being trampled underfoot earlier in the year and finishing the race despite suffering a broken nose and a cracked rib.

She recalls: “I went out to Seville where I was hoping to run a personal best and felt in good shape. They put the elite men and women up front and then fast men behind.

“The men all sprinted off but I’ve never been a fast starter. I got pushed down and, in trying to get up, I got a foot in my face and a foot on my chest.

“I saw masses of people running at me and I just remember shouting “no” until a foot landed on my face. Somebody eventually held their arms out to stop the masses and helped me up.

“I got to my feet and sprinted off because the adrenaline had kicked in. Then people started handing me tissues because I had blood running down my face.

“At the end of the race, I got taken off to hospital because I’d broken a rib and broken my nose. Apparently all I was saying was: ‘Can I have my finisher’s medal!’

“Despite all of that, I was just two minutes off my best in that race, so it shows I was still on form.”

Jo is a late starter in athletics and believes that making the Scotland team has shown that marathon running is mind over matter.

She explained: “I only started running about six years ago. I was really bad at sport at school, I used to get marks taken off for not trying!

“I was a race doctor one day at an event, and asked if I could take part because it looked more fun to run than to be on the other side. I did quite well.

“A friend took me out for dinner, forced me to finish the wine and then at the end of it asked me if I wanted to join him doing a race across Chile!

“So I did, I won it and I broke the women’s record.

“When I did the 100k, the advice I was given was that for at least the first 20-30k, you should be running at a pace you can chat to people.

“I’ve only done one, but I hold the Scottish record of 7hr. 41min. You don’t stop at all, then when you do stop at the end, you realise you can’t stand up!

“I was offered a wheelchair at the finish line.”