Gruelling test produces personal best (From Warrington Guardian)

Gruelling test produces personal best

8:00am Saturday 16th June 2012 in Sport

ENDURANCE athlete Brian New recorded a pesonal best in the gruelling 145 mile Grand Union Canal Race from Birmingham to London.

New beat his previous best, set in 2007, by three minutes when finishing in 41hours and 27mins, completing the course 35th of 53 finishers after 97 runners had started the race.

The horrendous conditions made it difficult from the start, with New likening the punishing journey to ‘running in a car wash’ as the torrential rain pummelled the canal paths.

New was joined for the final 15 miles by his 20-year-old son Ben, who ran alongside his dad in the pouring rain to finish in Little Venice, London, at 11.27pm on Sunday night, having starting at 6am on Saturday morning.

New is now preparing for two more events taking place before the end of August, the ‘Hell on the Humber’ run on August 18, and the 131mile ‘Ring of Fire’ race around the coast of Anglesey, all in the aid of Britain’s injured servicemen and women.

To donate visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/briannew