Sutton’s London Mini-Marathon runners at the David Weir Centre in Carshalton are, back row, from left to right: Gianluca Ercolano (top of his head only), Mohamed-Amin Fatah, Sam Sheppard, Ben Clark, Ricky Lutakome, Alex Galvin, Ryan Galvin, Samuel Hansen; second row, from left to right: Deborah Cotton, Georgia Bell, Emily Higgs, Lily Kyle, Fiona Wilson, Oliva Stillman, Hana Fatah, Alice Banfield, Mary-Kate Flynn, Li-Norah Flynn, Rachel Moran, Morgan Taylor Wells, Mariel Bastello-Kennedy, Georgia Hope; front row, from left to right: Jonas Zimmann, Jack Simpson, Adam Hudson, William Berry, Joseph Seal. The runners not in the photograph are Joseph Palmer, Callum Hockley, Dominque Corradi, Maisie Collis, Elsa Palmer, Amelia Stiff, Dario Kan, Nathan Sellick, Ryan Galvin.
Thirty-six borough athletes aged 11 to 17 represented Sutton at the Virgin Money Giving Mini-London Marathon last month.
On Sunday 24 April the Sutton runners competed against runners from all other 32 London boroughs and ran the last five km (three miles) of the famous London Marathon course from Blackfriars then along the Thames to the Marathon’s finish line in Pall Mall.
The runners, all of whom either live in Sutton and/or attend a Sutton school, were selected via trials in February organised by the London Borough of Sutton in partnership with Roundshaw Downs Park Run.
About half of the Sutton runners train regularly with Sutton & District Athletics Club at the David Weir Centre in Carshalton. For some of the athletes, this was their first year and first opportunity to run in a big high-profile race, whereas others had taken part in the London Mini-Marathon for several years in succession.
Sutton had some fantastic individual and team results. Maisie Collis came fourth in the Under-13 Girls London Boroughs Challenge (all 33 London Boroughs) and 12th in the overall race (which includes UK Regional teams) out of nearly 250 runners.
Ricky Lutakome came second in the boroughs’ Under-17 Boys challenge race, and 35th overall out of more than 200 runners.
The top team for Sutton was the Under-15 Girls. The team – Olivia Stillman, Elsa Palmer, Dominque Corradi and Alice Banfield – put in a very strong and tightly-placed team performance, coming in fourth, seventh, 12th and 48th individually and in fourth team place out of the 33 London boroughs.
Carshalton Central’s Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment & Neighbourhood Committee at Sutton Council, said:
“We want to congratulate all of the runners for doing so well and doing Sutton proud by representing the borough in front of crowds of thousands of people. We hope the occasion continues to inspire them and that as many as can will take part again next year.”
The runners attend the following 11 Sutton schools:
- Sutton Grammar
- Wallington Grammar
- Stanley Park High
- John Fisher
- Wilson’s
- Glenthorne High
- Cheam High
- St Philomena’s
- Westbourne Primary
- Nonsuch High School
- Wallington High School for Girls
The six age categories were:
- Under-13 Girls
- Under-15 Girls
- Under-17 Girls
- Under-13 Boys
- Under-15 Boys
- Under-17 Boys