Paul and Josh beat previous best for father-and-son combined times in half-marathon
Helpston Harriers now boast two world record holders on their roster after Paul Lunn and son Josh shattered the previous best for father and son combined times in a half-marathon.
The talented twosome did not disappoint in a high-class field at Reading where a combined time of 2hrs 20mins 33secs saw the pair re-write the record books by knocking more than four minutes of the previous mark.
Lunn the younger found himself sharing early wind-shielding duties with a good sized pack which included former Nene Valley star Chris Wright and New Zealand ace Paul Martelleti, as he set off at a pace that he hoped would see him finish in around 67 minutes.
Perhaps spurred on by speculation that as the oldest of four brothers he could be off the team if the record bid failed, the 27-year-old enjoyed a magnificent run finishing 12th and surpassing his own expectations while setting a new lifetime best of 1.06.29.
The previous world record was 2.24.47 which left Lunn the elder with time to play with.
The triathlete had prepared for the race in traditional distance runners style with a bottle of wine and a pizza the night before in his hotel room.
However, he knew the course well, having run his fastest half marathon of 75.00 in Reading four years ago and was brimming with confidence.
The 46-year-old senior member of the double act didn’t disappoint, shattering his own fastest time by crossing the line in 1.14.04.
Junior partner Josh said: “It was great to take another chunk off my personal best from Peterborough last year and to be racing with my old Nene Valley club mate Chris Wright. So much so that at the finish I actually forgot about dad finishing!
“When I turned to the clock I saw 73 minutes and knew he wouldn’t be long. It was such a good feeling to realise I was a world record holder.”
Helpston team-mate Jim Morris is not one to be overshadowed and came away with a cash prize after running 1.20.02 to finish as first over 50.
Morris’s wife Louise was even happier as the family tradition is that her husband keeps the trophies while she gets any prize money.
The next stop for Lunn and son could be Frankfurt in the autumn where they are considering a bid on the combined marathon world record.
