Junior doctor Phil Sesemann swapped his scrubs for spikes and finished in a remarkable seventh place at the London Marathon.
Sesemann, who worked at Leeds General Infirmary throughout the coronavirus pandemic, celebrated his 29th birthday by competing in his first-ever marathon.
Incredibly, he ran a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 58 seconds and secured qualification for the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.
For the latest Leeds news, click here
Reflecting on the last couple of years on the ward, Sesemann said: “It’s been difficult for my colleagues and I have tried to support them as much as I can.
“There have been challenges but more around Covid risk for myself. I have done all this training and been trying to avoid catching Covid beforehand. It wouldn’t be worth it.”
Sesemann trains with his dog Kipchoge, named after marathon great Eliud Kipchoge.
He added: “She’s great. She has Strava and she’s on 80-plus miles a week. She will do 20-milers and stuff. She seems to love it – but she doesn’t get a choice.
“She doesn’t pace me. She usually lags behind, but she’s a stalwart on the Leeds training scene.”
The race, the first full-scale running of the event in more than two years, was won by Sisay Lemma of Ethiopa in 2:04.01.
Enter your postcode to see local issues near you
Bizarrely Lemma was cleared to compete but was not allowed to stand on the victory podium alongside Kenyans Vincent Kipchumba and Mosinet Geremew – who came second and third respectively – due to coronavirus protocols.
The 30-year-old had tested negative but as a contact of fellow Ethiopian Kinde Atanaw, who withdrew after a positive test on Saturday, he was whisked back to his hotel as a precaution.
Instead it was left to his agent, Gianni Demadonna, to top the podium.
To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.
