Bristol dad's run becomes race to hospital as wife goes into labour

For a year, Clifton man Ken Aylmer had been training hard to compete in the Bristol Half Marathon.

But as he stood at the start line raring to go on Sunday, he received a phone call from his wife Illona saying she had gone into labour.

As the thousands of runners began the race, Mr Aylmer turned and ran in the opposite direction to St Michael's Hospital to be with his wife.

But Mr Aylmer, the director of a sustainable building company, plans to run the half marathon on his own on Saturday, so not to let down his chosen charity Cherry D, which gives advice and support to community organisations in Bristol.

Mr Aylmer, 38, told the Bristol Evening Post: "At 9.57am on the start line I had a call from Illona saying her waters had broken and she had gone into labour.

"So as everyone else went off down Hotwells Road, I ran up College Green and up St Michael's Hill in record time. I realised my training had paid off.

"I was bouncing around the delivery room because I'd been carb-loading for three days ready for action. The glucose sweets in my pocket went to good use!"

Mr Aylmer ran into the hospital still wearing his running shirt, shorts, and number 25565.

He said: "When I left the other runners and ran in the opposite direction some of them shouted, 'where are you going?' When I got to the hospital people thought I'd already finished the half marathon in record time."

And despite Mr Aylmer rushing to be with his wife, it took another 15 hours before baby Leo James made an entrance into the world at 1.38am on Monday, weighing 7lb 6oz.

Mrs Aylmer, 38, who works in PR for Cherry D, said: "At first I didn't realise my waters had broken. I thought I'd lost control of my bladder.

"I called my midwife who told me to get to hospital. I called Ken and told him what was going on, but said to run the race. I was terrified. I really wanted him to be with me, but I was trying to be really brave because Ken has spent a year training for the marathon.

"He was up at 5.30am eating porridge and drinking energy drinks. But he ran to be with me, and it was such a relief to see him."

She added: "Leo was three days early. I'm glad it's all over, and we decided to call him Leo because I was roaring like a lion as he was born."

The couple, who also have two girls, Ella, 10, and Scarlet, seven, gave Leo the middle name James, after guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Mr Aylmer said: "Everything pales into insignificance when you consider what women have to go through during childbirth. I will think of that when I'm struggling with my blisters on Saturday."