London Marathon: Kayak man helps 'virtual' runners in St Albans flood

Mike Izzard helped about 30 virtual London Marathon runners along the Alban Way on Sunday

A rail enthusiast helped virtual London Marathon runners in his kayak after weekend rain blocked their route.

Mike Izzard from Hatfield was taking pictures after a 300yd (274m) stretch of the Alban Way, a disused rail line in Hertfordshire, flooded.

He gave a lift to about 30 people running the race in St Albans after Covid-19 restrictions put paid to the usual route in the capital.

"I was in the right place at the right time," he said.

This year, 45,000 racers took on the London marathon, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, most completed the 26.2 miles wherever they could.

This included along the Alban Way, a disused section of the Great Northern Railway, between St Albans and Hatfield. But over the weekend, part of the track near the old Smallford station became impassable.

Nast Hyde Halt Mike "seized the opportunity" to row past the old Smallford station

Mr Izzard said the flooding was the worst it had been along that stretch in ten years

Mr Izzard, known as Nast Hyde Halt Mike, after he restored the next station along the line, said there had always been a flooding problem in the area, but it was the worst he had seen it in ten years over the weekend.

He said: "There is a soakaway drain that gets overwhelmed, but any soakaway would struggle with the amount of water that fell this weekend."

On Saturday morning there was about 8-10in (20-25cm) of water, but by Sunday this had risen to about 18in (45cm), he added.

On Sunday, Mr Izzard said runners "could have run the long way round, but by that stage they had probably done enough running"

Mr Izzard helped about 30 people, the vast majority of whom were runners, as it was pouring with rain and no one else was venturing out

Mr Izzard said: "People thought the free ferry service was fantastic and the laughter was brilliant.

"Many said they will never forget yesterday and the free ferry trip thrown in was the icing on the cake."

Weatherquest said the St Albans area saw about 90mm of rain from Thursday to Sunday and many parts of Buckinghamshire saw more than 100mm, with as much as 130mm falling over the Chilterns.

Weatherquest said the St Albans area saw about 90mm of rain from Thursday to Sunday