IT IS fair to say that Tracy Barlow is making a name for herself. The real-life Tracy Barlow, that is.
Running in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 24, the Thames Valley Harrier – and namesake of the notorious bad girl Coronation Street character – was the first female finisher from the mass start, crossing the line on The Mall in 2:33:20. Only three British women were quicker in the elite race: Alyson Dixon (2:31:52), Sonia Samuels (2:32:00) and Charlotte Purdue (2:32:48) – and the first two of those made the selection cut for the Rio Olympics.
Tracy Barlow: has improved rapidly to run 2:33:20 at the Virgin Money London Marathon
Picture:s: Mark Shearman
Such has been Barlow’s inexorable rise through the marathon ranks, she may well have been bound for Brazil herself had she taken up the challenge of the 26.2 mile event just a little earlier in a running career in which she started out as a high school and club-level sprinter. In five years the part-time nurse from Winchester has lowered her best time for the distance by 1hr 19min 39sec – an average of just shy of 16 minutes per 12 months.
The 31-year-old might be pushing it to continue her improvement at the same meteoric rate but, having been just 2:20 away from the Olympic qualifying standard in London, she is now only 3:21 shy of becoming the 20th British woman to break 2:30. With an autumn marathon in the offing, the chances are that the burgeoning Barlow will go into 2017 as a strong contender for a spot in the British team for the home World Championships in London next summer.
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