Charity gives medal to runner after race ran short

A runner who walked away from a half marathon without being given a medal has been presented with a specially-made piece of silverware.

Samantha Clarke, 48, from Ramsey in Cambridgeshire, ran the Cambridge Half Marathon on 8 March for Magpas Air Ambulance.

Clarke was one of several people who missed out on a medal due to a shortage, so the air ambulance charity created one for her which she said was "a lovely surprise".

"When I saw Sam cross the finish line and there were no medals left, I really felt for her," said Sian Ward, the charity's challenge and events fundraising officer.

"That's why we decided to make one ourselves — because every runner deserves a medal."

About 15,000 people took part in the race along the 13.1-mile (21.1-km) route through the city centre, Trumpington and Grantchester.

The event promised that those affected by the shortage would be posted a medal and offered free entry into next year's race.

Clarke, a project manager at a design consultancy, was one of a group of three people who ran together in aid of the charity, after it responded to an incident in which somebody they were close to was involved in a collision while riding a motorcycle.

She said the medal was posted to her and was "a one of a kind", as she was the only one out of the three who missed out on getting one.

Event director Adam Moffat has said his team may have run out of medals because some participants ran the race wearing other people's designated bibs.

But when asked by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Sue Dougan, he said: "I do not want to push it towards [the bibs issue] as it is our responsibility and for us to apologise."

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