16th April 2007

London Boost For Karen Harewood

UK Athletics performance coach John Nuttall has accepted a late, late entry into the Flora London Marathon – to raise funds for the rehabilitation of Karen Harewood, the 800m star who shattered a femur at last month’s European Indoor Championships.

 

Nuttall, whose place was only confirmed when another charity runner withdrew, is based at the UKA High Performance Centre at Loughborough, where Harewood trained prior to her injury.

 

UK Athletics insurance will ensure that Harewood’s medical and physiotherapy bills are all paid, whilst her ‘protected’ place on the WCPP will ensure rehab support and a small stipend. Nuttall and her training partners at Loughborough are acutely aware, however, that she will need all the help she can get to overcome injuries that were akin to her being in a car crash.

 

Nuttall said: “Karen can put a very limited amount of weight on her leg now and is hoping to be aqua-jogging in three to four weeks but it is going to be a long time before she can walk or jog. She will need excessive physiotherapy and other support, day in, day out, to re-establish a quality of life.”

 

Nuttall, the 1994 Commonwealth 5000m bronze medallist, has never raced further than a half marathon and is currently on only 15 miles a week but added: “This is an ideal way to whip-up support for Karen, who has sacrificed an awful lot for athletics.

 

“I’m very grateful to the London Marathon organisers and adidas for giving me a very late entry. I know it hasn’t been easy but I now have just nine days to make the most of it for myself and, most of all, for Karen.”

 

Anyone wishing to support Nuttall in his London efforts can email pledges to him via the UKA administrator at Loughborough HPC, Sue Clarke, who can be contacted at sclarke@ukathletics.org.uk