Fife Paralympian Derek Rae is still on a high from the biggest achievement of his running career in the London Marathon.
The 32-year-old won the World Para Athletics Marathon Cup for his class when he completed the 26.2-mile course in just over two hours and 36 minutes.
The time was short of his best in the famous marathon but with tough conditions in the 23 degree heat, it was enough to clinch the title as part of the British Athletics team.
Back at home in Kirkcaldy, Derek rewarded himself with a few days of rest before returning to training.
He has been flooded with messages of congratulations on social media, from strangers in the street and even in the Scottish Parliament.
He said: “It’s been phenomenal and a bit overwhelming.
“When I’ve been out running even people I don’t know but who know me have been saying ‘well done’. It’s nice to read all the messages and makes it all worthwhile.”
Among the well wishers was Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance, who lodged a motion of congratulations at Holyrood.
Derek, who trains with Fife Athletic Club and coach Ron Morrison, suffered massive injuries to the right side of his body in a road accident which almost killed him in June 2010, and runs with his arm in a sling.
He said: “For me, winning was the best way of paying back the hundreds of people who have helped and supported me over the last eight years since my accident.
“It’s impossible to thank everyone, the nurses, the surgeons, the physios, the coaches, everyone that has followed me, so that was my way of thanking them.”
Derek had to pull out of the marathon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics due to the extreme heat and now has his sights set on the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
His annual target, however, is the London Marathon and following a month of training in Kenya he knew he was in good form last Sunday.
He said: “I went down feeling confident. Training this year has gone exceptionally well. Every week I have got stronger and fitter and faster.
“My game plan was to race it this year, not just be a number.
“I ran hard from the gun and luckily I led from the start and I didn’t look back.”
When a competitor he ran with for several miles dropped off, he knew he was alone at the front.
He said: “I kept my head down taking it one mile at a time.
“I really only started to feel uncomfortable with the temperature in the last five or six miles.”
Knowing wife Susan was watching at intervals along the route helped to motivate him to his victory in the race won by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.
Derek is due to sit down with his support team and plan training for the remainder of the year which will include preparation for the World Para Athletics Championship at next year’s London Marathon.
