Clair Roberts: Last but Not Least

0:00On April 2-8, Claire Roberts crossed the finish line last at the London Marathon, clocking in at 12 hours and 16 minutes just before. Midnight, the 35-year-old from Milton King's power through to raise nearly 2,000 pounds for Samaritans, the suicide prevention charity that pulled her back from the edge 7 years ago. She battled a virus and injuries leading up to race day, plus a storm of emotions that made it tougher than her half marathon ever was. But Roberts' juice strength from that past darkness, pushing her body like never before to show others there's always hope ahead. Tailwalkers made all the difference for her and the back of the pack runners. This crew of 70 volunteers in cyclists, sticks with anyone dropping behind the eight-hour pace, guiding them off the roads to the secondary. Finish in St. James's Park. Those tailwalkers kicked off five years back after complaints from the 2019 race, where slower folks felt unsupported.

1:00Folks like Joe Janeri, an NHS worker turned team leader, and Shrina Koteka, who founded Team Finish together, turned it around by cheering the grit. Of those grinding out the full 26.2 miles on the pavement, Roberts calls it a huge privilege and Samaritans agrees she's pure inspiration as both runner and volunteer. You don't finish last in a marathon. You just soak in the victory a little longer, proving one step, one call, one push, changes everything.