It is sometimes the most unassuming of people that have achieved the most in the world of athletics.
Peter and Marion Fawkes have volunteered at Penrith Parkrun more than 160 times since 2019. They arrive at 8am and their duties usually end at about 10.30am.
They volunteer because they have both been involved with athletics for a long time and enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie of any athletics event.
Until they moved to Cumbria six years ago they lived in North Shields and met at a Civil Service Sports group before joining North Shields Polytechnic Athletics Club.
Peter was originally a long jumper then, after injury, became a long distance runner and ultimately a race walker.
Marion was a hurdler then went into middle distance running and became cross country county champion in the late 1960s.
However it soon became apparent that she was very good at race walking so that mushroomed and from then on major achievements followed.
At the time there were no official major championships for female athletes so she competed as an amateur whilst maintaining her job in the Civil Service.
A coach called Ken Munro would inform her about forthcoming events as the powers that be based in the south of England didn’t spread the word far and wide!
Marion’s first major achievement was in 1972 when she became UK National Race Walking Champion. It was at the 1979 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, the first officially sanctioned woman’s race, that she reached the peak of her competitive career.
Marion won the 5km race in a world record time of 22:51 minutes to become the first ever World Champion in women’s race walking.
She also won the European Economic Community Walking Championship in 1979 and has been European Champion twice.
In the 1980s Marion continued to compete at a lower level and became a world record holder in the 1989 ten thousand metres walking race for the over 35s.
Next time you’re at the parkrun look out for Peter and Marion as they race towards two hundred times as volunteers.
On Saturday there were 276 participants and 37 volunteers. Jonny Cox was first home in 17:47 minutes; Susanne Enhard was first female in 22:24 minutes.
For the full results and to find out more visit the website: www.parkrun.org.uk/penrith
