Marathon fitness run finally finishes for Bev | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Marathon pioneer Bev Shingles was given a lap of honour at the UCOL Fitness Centre in Wanganui yesterday.

And after 28 years' service as an instructor, she figured she probably deserved it.

At her farewell function yesterday, staff presented Bev, 70, with a replica of a page of the Chronicle marking her first day on the job.

She was planning to call it a day before UCOL announced it would be closing the gym on December 31 because of the high cost of keeping it open.

There are attempts under way to stave off closure, but whatever happens, Bev feels her time there is up. She says she will miss all her clients, and doesn't know what the future holds. Staying fit and healthy will be a priority, though.

Bev won the world's first women's marathon in 1973 in Los Angeles and went on to compete in many more marathons and cross-country events in a distinguished career.