Areas

Sport

Cirencester Athletics Club runner Gareth James flies back from holiday and sets PB in Cirencester Half Marathon

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Monday, 3rd November 2025, 11:30

Gareth James with wife Jess

Gareth James is hoping to have an early night tonight after competing in yesterday’s Cirencester Half Marathon.

The 39-year-old went round in one hour, 47 minutes, 18 seconds, but that tells only half the story because the Cirencester Athletics Club runner completed the 13.1 miles on the back of just three hours’ sleep.

“I’d been on holiday in Madeira,” said the married dad-of-three who lives in North Cerney. “We didn’t get home until 3am on Sunday morning, I got to bed at 3.30am and I was up at 6.30am.”

The race started at 9am and what made James’ performance all the more impressive was that it was his first competitive race.

“I’m an ultra-marathon runner,” said James, who has been a member of Cirencester AC for three years.

“Normally, I’m just ticking along at my own pace. They are not easy but in a half-marathon you’re competing against the clock.

“It’s more high level intensity, it’s a bit of a sprint distance for me!”

James, a teacher at Cirencester College, had run one half-marathon previously.

“I paced my wife at the Oxford Half two years ago, I ran 2.01.10,” he said.

Thomas Dunford of Bristol and West AC won yesterday’s race in 1.11.46, with fifth-placed Jake Miles the first runner home for Cirencester AC in 1.19.08.

“It was a lovely route, pretty hilly,” added James, who said he may attempt more half-marathons in the future.

“My time yesterday was a bit of a surprise. I was hoping to run 1.50 but honestly had no idea how I would run or what my half-marathon time should be, so I knew I would be running a little bit by feel.

“Sleep deprivation might be the key to success!”

Meanwhile, James' clubmate Annie Campbell, who told The Local Answer last week that she was targeting a PB, went round in 1.35.21, which was almost four minutes quicker than her previous best.

Copyright © 2025 The Local Answer Limited.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Local Answer Limited and thelocalanswer.co.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Areas

Sport

Archive

Cirencester Athletics Club runner Gareth James flies back from holiday and sets PB in Cirencester Half Marathon

More articles you may be interested in...