Day 3 Report (Final Bit)
Charles Penruddock, a 24 year old surveyor from London, gets the prize for the heaviest penalty awarded by the organisers. He told me he was caught red-handed trading 2 Lucozade tablets for a loaf of bread from a villager. 3 hour penalty. Unlucky to get caught, even unluckier to be caught again in a so-called "random" check on arriving back at the bivouac where he was discovered to be in possession of the illegal bread!
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Aki Lalani, a medical student from Bristol, had a severe nosebleed out on the trail today. But it was nothing compared to the state of his feet! His trainers, bought a size bigger than normal before the race, are still too small. Removing the insoles before Stage 3 didn't help enough, so tomorrow, in advance of the 51 miler, he may well need to cut open the front of the shoes in order to squeeze his feet into them.
The Save the Rhino team have become the darlings of the course (though it has to be said that many runners seem to have only one goal out here... to beat the Rhino). The teams comprises Cathy Dean, Director of Save the Rhino, Kenneth Donaldson, Rachel Barber, Cameron Short, Rick Jenner, Pete Franklin and Dion Jerling and they get the biggest rousing reception when they arrive each day. Shouts of "RHINO....RHINO" accompany them as they cross the Finish Line.
They have been asked by many runners they meet during each stage what the Rhino's name is... We haven't got one yet, said one, though judging by the discomfort heat and hardship of carrying such a heavy suit, it's hardly surprising that one of them chirped "Bastard". They're a very tough lot with big hearts. We're all wishing them well for tomorrow's double marathon.
