Helen Davies (née Decker born 12 September 1979) is a British long-distance runner. She finished 3rd British Lady at the London Marathon in 2010. She competed for Britain at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and represented England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, both in the marathon.After a 5 year break from running in 2012 to start a family, she returned successfully in 2017 to win the Brighton Marathon, and then went on to win at Brighton Marathon for a furthermore two years, earning selection for a third time to run for Team England at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Canada in 2018. Cumulating in a hat trick of wins and pb performance in 2019 at Brighton Marathon. Following this performance She was selected for Team GB to represent at the IAU 50k World Championships in Brasov Romania. Here she finished second 2mins behind team mate Alyson Dixon, earning herself a world silver medal and helping the team to Gold.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Helen Decker |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 12 September 1979[1] Ipswich |
| Height | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) [1] |
| Weight | 49 kg (108 lb) [1] |
| Sport | |
| Event(s) | Marathon, Half marathon Ultra Marathon |
| Club | Ipswich Jaffa RC |
Davies had represented her country during the 2008, 2009 & 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon which included an international team challenge.[2][3]
Davies came to prominence as a marathon runner when she finished in a personal best time of 2:36:56 the 2010 London Marathon. This time won her place in the England squad for 2010 Commonwealth Games.[4] She was selected for the British team to run at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, she was the fourth British runner to finish behind Michelle Ross-Cope, Susan Partridge and Holly Rush, a race that saw the British team come third in the European Marathon Cup. In the 2010 Commonwealth Games Davies finished eighth in a time of 2:49:24, three minutes behind Ross-Cope who finished sixth.
Both in 2011 and 2012 Davies improved on her London Marathon time taking her personal best to 2:34:11, but a time just short of the required 2:31:00 for a place at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[5]
Davies further improved her Marathon pb 2 years after her return to competition and becoming a mother of two. At her hat trick performance at the Brighton Marathon in 2019. Where she ran 2.34.06.
Davies finished second in the IAU 50 km World Championships in 2019 in a time of 3:09:16.[6]
Competition Record
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Great Britain and  England
| |||||
| 2009 | London Marathon | London, England | 5th | Marathon | 2:42:08 |
| 2010 | London Marathon | London, England | 16th | Marathon | 2:36:56 |
| 2010 | European Athletics Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 18th | Marathon | 2:43:00 |
| 2010 | Commonwealth Games | Delhi, India | 8th | Marathon | 2:49:24 |
| 2011 | London Marathon | London, England | 24th | Marathon | 2:35:43 |
| 2012 | London Marathon | London, England | 20th | Marathon | 2:34:11 (PB) |
| 2017 | Brighton Marathon | Brighton, England | 1st | Marathon | 2:42:40 |
| 2017 | Maidenhead Half Marathon | Maidenhead, England | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:18:00 |
| 2018 | Brighton Marathon | Brighton, England | 1st | Marathon | 2:38:41 |
| 2019 | Brighton Marathon | Brighton, England | 1st | Marathon | 2:34:08 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "HELEN DAVIES (Profile)". Ipswich Jaffa Running Club. Ipswich Jaffa Running Club. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Carl Marston (25 September 2008). "Decker prepares for England debut". East Anglian Daily Times. Archant Community Media. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "England Selections announced for Toronto Marathon". England Athletics. England Athletics. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Steady Helen Decker wants Delhi delight". BBC. BBC. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Carl Marston (5 March 2012). "Helen Davies enjoys Olympic boost". East Anglian Daily Times. Archant Community Media. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Athletics Weekly: Aly Dixon Wins World 50km Title on Ultra Running Debut.
External links
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