Skating Marathon - 2013

On the 1st September 2013 Rotarian Peter Braithwaite, took part in an inline skating marathon in Copenhagen to raise money for the End Polio Now campaign. 

Peter has been skating since 2006 and, although he had done a few marathons before, said every course was different and a new one poses both physical and psychological challenges.  This was certainly the case with Copenhagen since, 12 weeks before the event, he fell and broke his collar-bone whilst training.  

The day of the race dawned quite sunnily but, by the time it started, rain was falling heavily.  Added to this, the course was flat and by the sea so there was a gusty breeze and this, combined with the slippery conditions and his curtailed training, meant that a fast time was not on the cards.  Fortunately, Peter was with other skating friends in a "pace line", which means that only the lead skater bears the brunt of the wind, and this helped to counter the difficult conditions.  By the sixth lap of the seven kilometre course the sun had come out again and the surface was drying out, so the pace could be picked up.  Peter finished in 2 hours 13 minutes.

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At the close of the campaign, £2,772 was collected for End Polio Now and a cheque presented by President-elect David Hynes to District Governor Chris Barnett at the 2014 District Assembly 

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