Smiles and satisfaction from GB marathoners in Rio

There was a carnival atmosphere at the end of the women’s marathon on Sunday morning and two of the biggest smiles of all came from the British runners Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels.

The sun burned fiercely overhead the finish area in the Sambodromo district of Rio as a vibrant crowd cheered the finishers home and the battling Britons soaked up the noise and excitement on their weary legs as they reflected on satisfying performances.

Both started steadily and moved through the field impressively, to the extent that Samuels could only remember being passed by one athlete throughout. In the final stages, Dixon pulled ahead of her teammate to finish 28th in 2:34:11, as Samuels finished in 30th in 2:34:36, but both were satisfied with their day’s work at the Olympics.

“I just want a burger and a beer now,” said Dixon in typically grounded fashion before telling AW her Olympic hopes had been in jeopardy in recent days after she fell during a training run in Font Romeu, injuring herself in the process.

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