London Marathon 2023: Eden Rainbow-Cooper hopes to emulate club-mate David Weir
- Published
Rainbow-Cooper and Weir both finished third in their respective races at last year's London Marathon
TCS London Marathon |
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Date: Sunday, 23 April Times: 09:15 BST wheelchair races, 09:25 elite women, 10:00 elite men and masses |
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app from 08:30 with coverage of the finish line on digital services until 18:00 |
If British wheelchair racer Eden Rainbow-Cooper needs some advice before Sunday's London Marathon, she doesn't have to go too far for help.
The 21-year-old is part of the Weir Archer Academy, set up by eight-time London winner David Weir and his long-time coach Jenny Archer to develop wheelchair racing at all levels.
Rainbow-Cooper finished a superb third in the women's race last year and is building a reputation over the marathon distance alongside some of the legends of the sport, competing in Monday's Boston Marathon before, like many of the other leading wheelchair racers have done over the years, travelling to London for a second big race in the space of seven days.
"I also did the Paris Marathon earlier this month so with three marathons in quick succession, I had to make sure everything was right in terms of my training and preparation," she tells BBC Sport.
"I am so grateful to have Dave and Jenny there to give me advice to navigate it as there has been a lot to take in and a lot of hard work.
"Racing in the same races as Dave on the road over the last year has been special. To sit there beforehand and learn from him and to share those experiences together means so much.
"The academy is more than just a place to train, it is like family to me. It gave me people to look up to and showed me what I could achieve in and out of sport.
"It is an amazing community and I don't think I would be the athlete I am today without it."
Rainbow-Cooper started the sport as a teenager, travelling from her Portsmouth home to training in Kingston-upon-Thames three times a week. A promising junior, she competed in the Mini London Marathon wheelchair races, finishing runner-up to Paralympic silver medallist Kare Adenegan in 2016 and 2018.
But a bout of Covid-19, which developed into long Covid, halted her progress and she had to take a break from the sport.
Returning in late 2021, by her own admission beaten down both physically and mentally, she rose to the challenge of regaining her love for the sport and her fitness to race in last year's Paris Marathon, which qualified her for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where she took silver for England.
Then in her London Marathon debut in October she finished behind experienced duo Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland and American Susannah Scaroni, who triumphed in Boston on Monday. Both are also competing in London on Sunday.
"Last year exceeded all expectations for me and obviously I would love to come in the top three again, but I would be overjoyed to be in the top 10," Rainbow-Cooper says.
Rainbow-Cooper was the leading British female in last year's London Marathon
"London will only be my seventh marathon - I'm racing against people who will have done 50 or 100.
"I was seventh in Boston, which was incredible. I am only 21 and competing against my idols and learning a lot.
"Boston was breath-taking but London will remain one of my favourite races. It holds a special place in my heart.
"Sunday's field is a much stronger one than last year but I am really excited. To see so many big names on the start line for both the men's and women's races - Paralympic medallists, world, European medallists and record holders - really helps the sport and shows what level we are at and what we are capable of."
'I can see a lot of me in her'
Weir, who is competing in the London race for the 24th consecutive year, is among the stellar names in the men's race but Switzerland's Marcel Hug, the defending champion and a dominant winner in Boston, is favourite along with American Daniel Romanchuk.
The six-time Paralympic champion is proud of Rainbow-Cooper's progress so far.
"I knew from early on in Eden's career that she could be a good long-distance racer and that she could do the marathon distance, but she is also a good track racer. I can see a lot of me in her.
"What she did last year was truly amazing and I hope that she can have a good race and try to finish in the top three again.
"You don't come third in the London Marathon if you haven't got potential. She is still improving but both Jenny and I have told her that she will have ups and downs - races where things don't go to plan - and she is listening and learning.
"She has massive potential to win medals for Britain at a Paralympics on the track and in marathons in the future. We can guide her so far, but she has done a lot herself and she has the mental strength and desire to do well and she is enjoying it at the moment and it is great to see. We are all very proud of her, as we are of all our athletes."
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