Ten years after racing for Britain at the Euro Cross, the Bristol-based runner has reinvented herself as a marathoner and impressed on her debut in London<\/h5>\n
Hannah Alderson quietly produced one of the British success stories of the 2022 TCS London Marathon. Setting off from the championship start, she flew under the radar to clock 2:35:56. It was a time beaten on the day by only one British woman \u2013 Rose Harvey with 2:27:20 from the elite start \u2013 and placed her 11th<\/sup> female overall. What\u2019s more it was her debut at the distance and achieved off a training programme of just four runs per week.<\/p>\n It is almost 10 years to the day since Alderson competed for Britain at the European Cross Country Championships on a snowy course on the outskirts of Budapest. Back then, in December 2012, she was part of an under-23 team that included Beth Potter, Lily Partridge and Jess Piasecki \u2013 the latter of whom struck gold that day.<\/p>\n Alderson did not enjoy the best run in Budapest as she had been unwittingly running on a stress fracture in her navicular bone for several weeks. Surgery soon followed with pins placed in her ankle and, as she drifted away from competitions, she began to focus on a career as a primary school teacher rather than an elite runner.<\/p>\n Hannah Alderson in 2012 (Mark Shearman)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During her break from the sport she continued to run a little to keep fit, though. The past two years have seen her jump into a few more competitions as well \u2013 winning some local road races \u2013 and she prepared for London in October under the guidance of her long-time coach, Alan Thomas.<\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely went better than expected,\u201d says Alderson on her London run (main image, above). \u201cI surpassed the target time that I had in my mind. You never know what to expect in your first marathon so I was pleased with the outcome and it\u2019s given me confidence that I can run a little quicker next time.<\/p>\n \u201cI was worried about hitting The Wall but I listened to my body and managed to get across the line without blowing up too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Impressively she only runs about four times per week and had a longest run of 22 miles going into London. Yet she felt good most of the way and feels she has generally always raced better at longer distances.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably could run more than four times per week but I don\u2019t want to,\u201d she says. \u201cI like the balance of my training and work and down time. So I think I have that (balance) spot on at the moment. I\u2019d still like a PB though and I think I can do this with some small adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cI think high mileage works for some athletes but not others. I think I\u2019ve run well off low mileage. I feel fresher before I run and I can get good quality sessions done. Even my long runs have had some of the miles done at race pace, which seems to have worked well.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bristol-based athlete was a talented teenage runner who won medals at the English Schools and UK School Games at 3000m. That ability is now emerging in the marathon and she is hoping to take more time off her best in the 2023 London Marathon in April.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope her story will be an inspiration to other athletes who have been unable to compete for whatever reason that \u2018class is permanent\u2019,\u201d says her coach. \u201cWith hard work and sensible goals it is possible to become competitive again and enjoy the rewards that our wonderful sport can provide.\u201d<\/p>\n Hannah Alderson in her youth (Mark Shearman)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Does she regret having such a long break from competitions? \u201cBecause I\u2019d trained so seriously from a young age I realised I\u2019d missed out on quite a lot such as social things,\u201d Alderson reflects.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d been very focused on one thing \u2013 running \u2013 and it was quite a lonely sport in the end. There had been a big group of us going warm weather training etc but as they dropped out then I stayed in it and I felt a bit lonely and isolated. It was quite nice to just be able to run for the enjoyment of it and not getting worried about how I\u2019d race or whether I was doing enough training.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was heart breaking to get the stress fracture (in 2012) when I was at peak fitness but later on I realised I didn\u2019t want to go through the injuries and frustrations again.\u201d<\/p>\n After her injury-hit period a decade ago together with a long hiatus from competing, the 30-year-old is keen to simply enjoy the sport. She has little to prove, especially as far as her primary school pupils are concerned. They already think she has won the London Marathon anyway!<\/p>\n \u201cThe other teachers worded it to the kids that \u2018Miss Alderson won the London Marathon\u2019 so I had to tell them I won the non-elite women\u2019s section. But that meant nothing to the kids. They just thought I\u2019d won the London Marathon!\u201d<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cThe interest shot up at their running club after school. A lot of them ducked out of judo and went running instead, so the judo leader wasn\u2019t best pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb<\/i><\/b>\u00a0For more AW news,\u00a0<\/i>CLICK HERE<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u00bb <\/i><\/b>Subscribe to AW magazine <\/i>here<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/athleticsweekly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/ALDERSONHANNAH-1-Lpool11.12-750x442.jpg\")
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