Press Release - London Marathon - 4/14/16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       British race preview: Britons to battle for Olympic places

No fewer than 12 British men and six women are set to line up at the elite 
Blue Start with hopes of securing a place on Team GB's Rio-bound plane for 
the 2016 Olympic Games.

Londoner Scott Overall and Scot Callum Hawkins (pictured) have already 
beaten British Athletics' men's qualifying time of 2:14 with confident 
autumn runs at the Berlin and Frankfurt Marathons respectively. They just 
need to be among the first two Britons across the line to guarantee a 
ticket to South America.

Hawkins, in particular, should be full of confidence after running a half 
marathon best of 62:36 in Paris on 6 March and finishing 15th at the recent 
World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.

Among those hoping to join them are Chris Thompson, the 2010 European 
10000m silver medallist, who was 11th on his marathon debut in London two 
years ago, and Leeds City's Derek Hawkins, Callum's brother, whose personal 
best is just four seconds outside the all-important entry mark. He has also 
set a half marathon PB this year and won the Cardiff half ‘mass race' on 
Easter weekend.

Phil Wicks and Lee Merrien could also be in contention, as could Ben 
Moreau, who has run for Britain and England at recent European 
Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Sonia Samuels and Alyson Dixon are in the driving seat in the women's race 
as they both beat the standard of 2:31 at the Berlin Marathon last 
September.

Samuels was the first Briton home at the London Marathon last year and the 
Sale Harrier finished ninth in Berlin in a personal best of 2:28:04. Dixon 
also ran a PB in the German capital and the Sunderland Stroller will be 
hoping to make up for 2012 when she missed out on the London Games. She was 
27th at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.

Susan Partridge could also be in the mix after coming desperately close to 
the selection time at the Chicago Marathon last October, while Freya Ross 
has high hopes of making the Olympic team again after running for Britain 
at London 2012 as a late replacement for Paula Radcliffe.

The talented marathon debutante, Charlotte Purdue, should not be 
discounted, but the experienced Louise Damen has been forced to pull out 
with an injury sustained while training in Albuquerque.

Overall, Thompson, Callum Hawkins, Samuel, Dixon, Ross and Partridge will 
all appear at a press conference at the Tower Hotel, London, on Thursday 21 
April. 

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