Simon gets call-up to marathon team
By Sean Lawless on 17th Feb 16
Paralympic Games hopeful Simon Lawson has been picked for the British Athletics team at this years IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup in London on April 24.
Simon, who was paralysed in a motocross accident in 2001, finished the race in 10th position last year and is determined to improve on this as he bids for a place on the British squad for Rio in September.
"I'm hoping for top-five to be honest,” said the 33-year-old. "I made a bit of a step forward last year to move into the top-10 in all the major marathons I did so the next goal is
top-five and to finish with the leaders every time and be in the hunt at the end.
"At the end of last year I did the Chicago Marathon and got a personal best there – one hour, 30 minutes – and finished ninth. That's what got me onto the squad really because I finished with the leaders, the top 10 all came across the line together. That was a good result.
"It's a big honour to be selected for the team – going back to my motocross days it would be like me getting picked for the des Nations.”
After a punishing winter training schedule Simon, a mechanic at the family-owned Jack Horseman Motorcycles in Carlisle, is preparing for his first marathon of the year in Lisbon, Portugal, in March.
A distance specialist, Simon knows his next couple of results will play an important part in him realising his Paralympic Games goal.
"They don't name the squad until June and the qualification period runs until May but it's looking pretty hopeful – I've got two qualifying times under my belt from last year in the marathon and I've had to fill out my measurements for my kit for Rio.”
