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5k Paralympics: Wheelchair: David Weir

3 September 2012
the5krunner
English: Brazilian athlete Wendel Silva Soares...
English: Brazilian athlete Wendel Silva Soares in the 400m wheelchair race at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I saw the 5k wheelchair race last night on Channel 4. Amazingly interesting race and actually quite exciting. A strange combination between the drafting of cycling and tactics of running.

Of course the British guy won! Job well done. It’s a 5k race so I look forward to seeing him and Mo Farah race it off one day (hmm, maybe not).

I have had the pleasure of cycling round Richmond Park at the same time as David Weir.  I’m sure he will berate the idiot car drivers who give him (and cyclists) about 2 inches of free space before passing them and immediately slowing down. Par for the course in Richmond Park.

Normally I only see him when going up the hills as obviously going down the hill I stick to the 20 mph speed limits. Apparently he has special dispensation to go faster 🙂 Fair enough.

My thoughts on the wheelchair racing. Why not make it a regular Olympic sport? It’s exciting enough. Able bodied people could compete but I imagine would not win because they would weigh more. Similar argument to the inclusion of wheelchair basketball in the regular programme.

David Weir’s golden postbox? Apparently he lives in Carshalton/Sutton in SW London. So I would imagine it would be somewhere near there. The Post Office must be getting a bit short of paint by now 🙂 Great PR for them (with their stamps too)

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Last Updated on 13 November 2025 by the5krunner

My favourite kit and nutrition

  • Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
  • Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — The small adapter that keeps your charging cables tidy. Essential for race day. I use one.
  • Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
  • Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
  • Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
  • Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
  • Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
  • Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
  • Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
  • Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
  • Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.

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