Clara Evans Ran A Sensational Spanish Marathon And Now Dreams Of Paris In The Summertime And An Olympic Games

By Owen Morgan

An unexpected Welsh marathon record has put Clara Evans in the running for a place at next year’s Paris Olympics.

The Pontypridd Roadents athlete went into the Valencia Marathon earlier this month hoping to catch the Great Britain selectors’ eye for next summer’s European Athletics Championships in Rome.

But a massive four-minute-plus personal best of 2:25.01 – the seventh fastest ever time by a Briton – means Evans now has the qualifying standard for the greatest sporting show on Earth.

With four British women already having achieved the standard, Evans faces a waiting game until the GB team is announced next April.

Clara Evans Is Wales’ Fastest Female Marathon Runner

Evans is currently the fourth ranked Briton on time this year behind Calli Thackery, Charlotte Purdue and Rose Harvey.

Asked whether she would try to improve her time again before the selectors make their final Olympic decision in April next year, Evans said: “I won’t run another marathon before the deadline, that’s me done.

“Some people have asked whether I’ll run again. But no, I just don’t think I can recover and then come back to the same standard, it will be a rush.”

However, that doesn’t mean she has given up hope of an Olympic place.

Clara Evans and Verity Ockenden Make GB Team For World Road Running Championships

Evans added: “A lot can happen, people can pick up injuries or illnesses, and, obviously I don’t want that to happen, but we’ve seen it in selections for previous championships for the marathon, so there’s that possibility. I’ll just wait and see what happens. If I get the opportunity, I’ll take it.

“If not, I ran a great time, a massive PB, so I can’t be disappointed. It’s a win either way I think. I’ve just got to wait and see.

“It would be amazing (to go to the Olympics). It’s the pinnacle of the sport, isn’t it? It’s what everybody dreams of, even if it’s a wild dream. I don’t think you can really put it into words. It would just be incredible – a life changing experience.

“I just need to get back racing at full fitness and show that I’m fit. Then, maybe if some of the other girls aren’t quite in peak fitness, I can prove that I am and that might go in my favour.

“I’ll get back into a training block now. And I’m going to do a couple of 10Ks in the new year and then a half marathon to hopefully qualify me for the Europeans.”