Press Release - London Marathon - 4/3/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                      Purdue pulls out of London Marathon

03/04/2018

Charlotte Purdue has been forced to pull out of the 2018 Virgin Money 
London Marathon on 22 April with a thigh injury sustained at the recent 
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia.

Purdue broke 2 hours 30 minutes for the 26.2-mile distance for the first 
time when she was 15th in last year’s London Marathon, the second British 
finisher behind Alyson Dixon, and went on to place 13th at the 2017 World 
Championships in London last August.

As the quickest Briton in the women’s elite field, the 26-year-old would 
have been favourite to win a place on British Athletics’ team for the 
European Championships in Berlin this summer. Purdue already holds the 
qualifying time but needed to finish as one of the top two Briton’s at this 
year’s London Marathon to guarantee selection.

Purdue has withdrawn from the race after a scan revealed a bone stress 
reaction in her femur following her performance in Valencia on 24 March 
when she finished 21st. Purdue, a former European junior cross country 
champion, won the women’s race at the Vitality Big Half in London on 4 
March when she clocked a personal best of 70 minutes 29 seconds.

Purdue’s absence leaves three British women on the elite Start Line, headed 
by Tracy Barlow of Thames Valley Harriers and Purdue’s Aldershot, Farnham 
and District clubmate, Lily Partridge, who are both capable of beating the 
2:36:00 qualifying time.

They will be joined by Rebecca Murray of Bedford and County, who will make 
her full marathon debut after finishing 10th at last September’s Great 
North Run.

Updated entry lists for all the elite, wheelchair and World Para Athletics 
Marathon World Cup races at this year’s London Marathon can be found in the 
Media Resources section.

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