The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic noticed folks throughout the globe decide up new hobbies and expertise.
That included Rose Harvey.
Harvey, whose job as a company lawyer within the music business in England was eradicated in the course of the pandemic, leaned into operating. Whereas she typically ran to and from the workplace whereas working towards legislation, she by no means fairly had the time to dive into the game absolutely. However with the lockdowns in impact — and operating listed as one of many permitted outside actions — she had the chance to dive absolutely in.
“It simply sort of snowballed from there, I completely beloved it,” she mentioned earlier this summer time.
She was noticed operating sooner or later in 2020 by coach Phil Kissi in Battersea Park and that probability encounter modified her life. Harvey ran the Cheshire Marathon in April of 2021 and completed in 2:30:58, wiping 25 minutes off her private greatest. Lower than six months later she ran within the elite subject of the London Marathon and completed fifteenth amongst girls and thirty sixth general, with one other private greatest of two:29:45.
She turned skilled in 2022 and when she ran the London Marathon that 12 months, she was the quickest British feminine runner, ending with a time of two:27:59.
Her efficiency on the Chicago Marathon final 12 months sealed her spot on Crew GB for the 2024 Paris Summer time Olympics. Harvey ran 2:23.21 in Chicago, which stands because the fifth fastest-ever marathon time for a British lady.
Sadly, her marathon efficiency in Paris was properly off that tempo. Harvey crossed the end line with a time of two:51:03, a step again from her typical performances and over 28 minutes behind gold medalist Sifan Hassan. Nevertheless, that wants a little bit of context.
As a result of she completed with a BROKEN LEG.
In an Instagram publish on Tuesday Harvey outlined that within the weeks main as much as the Olympics, she had developed some tightness in her hip. Because of her coaching workers she and Crew GB believed she was prepared. “My unimaginable staff and I put in a lot work to make the beginning line match and wholesome and we have been all optimistic that with a little bit of race day adrenaline, I might be capable of run the race I knew I had in me.”
Nevertheless, within the early going of the marathon she knew one thing was improper. “I rapidly realised that wasn’t going to occur. The subsequent 24 miles have been a painful battle.
“It seems I had stress fractured my femur.”
Regardless of the fracture, Harvey didn’t pull out of the race.
“In some other race, I might have stopped and there have been so many moments once I thought I couldn’t take one other step. The downhills have been hell.
“However regardless of that the majority of my race objectives having slipped away, there was nonetheless a tiny a part of my Olympic dream that I may hold onto – and that was ending the Olympic marathon.
“I couldn’t surrender.
“I stored telling myself to smile, take in the vitality of the unimaginable crowds and simply put one foot in entrance of the opposite.”
She could have completed over 28 minutes behind the winner, however to run the final 24 miles of the Olympic marathon with a stress fracture in her femur?
That sounds medal-worthy to me.
