DUKA Unearths New Marathon Talent
10/06/07
The Marathon Man
The marathon event is such a tough event. To race 26 miles 385 yards can be very 
tiring, but fun!. DUKA is pleased to have unearthed a new member, whose main event is the marathon race.
Oliver Westbury, who is deaf and has many sporting interests, recently joined DUKA. He is keen to represent GB in the full marathon event. Westbury has done many marathon races, with the most recent being the 31st Marathon de Paris, France on 15th April 2007. Here he tells DUKA about his experience:
“Paris last weekend was unseasonably hot and sunny, especially on the Marathon Day. The weather was very hot and humid, conditions over 20c degrees and 68% humidity at 8.45am. This was my first time to run in these heat conditions. When the marathon started I ran well for 20km which averaged out at 20 minute per 5km but after 20km my liver began to hurt and that slowed me down for the next 10km, then afterwards, I felt a little bit better and so I ran normally all the way to finish line. At half- way stage, we had to drink 0.5 litres of water every 5km because heat getting worse up to 28c degree which made us sweat like I was in a sauna.
I managed to finished it in 3hrs 13mins (position 1740 out of 35,000 competitors)
The course is bit unappealing, the spectators made the atmosphere very good but it was disappointing at the finish area because spectators and the Marathon runners all went into the same area causing lots of overcrowding, which meant that I couldn’t find my family and friends so I had to meet them at my hotel. One of my friends Toby Burton ran in marathon too that he completed finished 03h 34mins (Position 4647).
In the evening after a well earned meal and drink, we went to top of the Eiffel Tower and it was beautiful to see the tower with a diamond flash all over.
I enjoy running marathon races so much, I will compete in the 20km Brussels race and the Stockholm Marathon”
DUKA is very excited to welcome this new distance running talent and hopes that his performances will further encourage new talent to come forward for the challenge and enjoyment that long distance races can bring.