Half Marathon triumph for vicar on crutches

Rev Andrew Rawdings, vicar of the Bride Valley and Chesil Churches, is recovering from a life‑threatening motorbike crash that occurred just before Christmas. While in hospital he sent a recorded message to his parishioners, explaining that he had broken his femur in several places and shattered his knee. A keen amateur marathon runner, he told them he might never run another marathon again.
Yet just three months later, he took part in the Bath Half Marathon. His daughters, Joy and Aila, ran on foot, while Andrew completed the course on crutches, unable to put weight on his injured leg. It required immense strength and determination, relying heavily on his arms and shoulders to get him round — but his courageous effort was rewarded with a finishing time of just over three hours.