Disability Sport Wales
Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru

DAN WINS ADIDAS MINI MARATHON IN RECORD TIME

On the day where eyes were on the masses taking part in the gruelling London Marathon, Academy Athlete Dan Lucker won the Adidas Mini-Marathon Wheelchair race in a new course record.

Having won the event last year, beating paralympic medallist Mickey Bushell, Dan returned to the Billingsgate start line hot favourite.

Lucker, from Abergavenny, had the usual twists and turns to negotiate but didn’t expect half way through to come across a lorry that blocked the route. This added a minute on his time, but still Lucker had the strength, power and determination to win in a new course record.

During the warm up Dan ‘eyed’ the opposition and decided how he was going to tackle the race.

After the race Dan described his experiences during the event,
“Last year was a bit different in that I knew Mickey Bushell was going to be fast and stay with me. This year there were some new faces and I was unsure of how they would approach the race. I decided I would take off quick and see if any one was going to be able to stay with me. It paid off when after just 400 or so meters I looked back to see that no one had made the break with me. I had trained hard over the winter and was feeling strong, therefore able to maintain the pace throughout the race.”

Although Dan got off to a speedy start, things didn’t quiet go to plan when only half a mile from the finish there was a kit lorry which are used to transport the many thousand of bags of clothes from the start to the finish line, left across the full width of the road.

On releasing the extent of the road block Dan commented,
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I was pushing 21 mph and then had to come to a complete stand still – it was like a brick wall blocking the road. After some negotiation with a police woman and explaining to her that it was impossible for me to push my racing chair up a 3 inch kerb she called over two men to physically carry me and my chair around the lorry. It lost me quiet a bit of time but I pushed on and picked the speed up again. As I raced down the Mall the crowd support was amazing as always. Overall I’m happy with my race although slightly disappointed with my time.”

Dan finished the race in 12:30 setting a new course record and was two and a half minutes ahead of second place. A great start to the 2009 racing season! His next event is Sunday 3rd May at the BWRA National Track Competition in Gateshead.

Dan’s full race schedule for the 2009 season can be found on his website www.danlucker.com

This also sets up Lucker well for the coming season, with an eye on hopeful qualification to the IWAS Junior World Championships in Switzerland later this year.

Lucker is a member of the highly prestigious Academy scheme run by Disability Sport Wales. He is supported in terms of his coaching and competiton preparations as well as working on developing him into the future GB athlete he aspires to be.

Part of that Coaching support is delivered by Academy Coach and previous Paralympic Star, Chris Hallam MBE. Hallam, hailed as one of the first inspirational athletes to develop Disability Sport in Wales, works intensively with Lucker to become a future World and Paralympic Champion.

For further details please contact Gerwyn Owen, Academy Manager at Disability Sport Wales on 07918716344 or email gerwyn.owen@fdsw.org.uk

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