Cousins hoping to improve on impressive Worlds showing at European Duathlon Championships

SUTTON Bridge athlete Becky Cousins will represent Great Britain at this weekend’s European Duathlon Championships.

Cousins, 23, of Fenland Running Club, will be competing in Horst, Netherlands, on Sunday.

It will be the second time she’s represented her country - having competed last October at the Duathlon World Championships in Nancy, France.

The Great Britain ace ran 10km, cycled 40km and then ran another 5km in two hours and 40 minutes to secure an impressive ninth-placed finish in the Under-23 category.

But a mix-up with the bike section meant she could have finished even quicker.

The complex cycle route prompted a number of riders, including Cousins, to complete six laps instead of the necessary five.

She said: “This championship is a sprint event and I will be up against athletes across the world.

“I’m feeling ready this time and hoping not to do an extra lap on the bike this time but it involves me having to go as quick as I can as its not a standard event this time.

“After the Europeans, I’ve decided with my coach Andrew Jakeman to focus on my running during the summer as the World’s is rather expensive so can’t really afford it and it be good to win a few local races again.”

FENLAND Running Club’s Spring Marathon programme continued on Sunday when Richard Betts took on the Brighton Marathon for the second time.

Betts knocked an astonishing one hour three minutes off his previous personal best to finish in 3:15:26,

But the strong wind meant he missed out on achieving an automatic ‘good for age’ place in next year’s London Marathon by an agonising 26 seconds.

In Grantham, Paulina Zub tackled rough, muddy terrain and steep climbs in Grantham Running Club’s gruelling 10K Cup.

She completed the course in one hour and 16 seconds.