Welsh record-holder finishes 46th in 2:33:01 after getting Team GB call-up just one week earlier

Clara Evans only found out she was running the Olympic marathon seven days before the race. She flew out to Paris five days beforehand and is getting married in Chepstow next Saturday. But she finished first Brit home in 46^th in 2:33:01.

Its been a whirlwind. I was prepping for a wedding not a marathon, she told AW at the finish of the race in the French capital. I didnt think Id make an Olympics. Im just so proud and happy to be in the team.

GB team-mates Calli Hauger-Thackery and Rose Harvey didnt fare so well. Hauger-Thackery had been ahead of Evans in the early stages but fell back through the field and DNFd, whereas Harvey began slowing a lot in the second half of the race but, determined to finish, battled on grimly to 78^th place in 2:51:03.

Struggling with a hip problem, Harvey exited the finish in a wheelchair.

Evans, 30, had replaced Charlotte Purdue, who withdrew with an ankle injury. The Welsh record-holders best is 2:25:01 and on a tough hilly course on Saturday in warm conditions she ran just eight minutes slower as she came in one place behind Gerda Steyn, the South African record-holder and three-time Comrades Marathon winner.

Had Evans been training with the Olympic marathon as a potential race? Not particularly, she explained: It wasnt really in the back of my mind but it was in the back of the mind of my coach Chris (Jones). I couldnt think about it as I felt it was too hard to deal with the prospect of a potential (run). I knew the other girls were still running fine so I wasnt really thinking about it.

I was aiming for Valencia at the end of the year so that was my thought process. My main aim was the Europeans. I have been doing a little bit of marathon prep but not fully but it was obviously enough to get through.

Evans finished ninth in the European half-marathon in Rome in June in 70:06. So she has been in good shape this summer.

I just wanted to run strong, she said. The wheels came off about 35km but thats to be expected when youve not done a full marathon build up. I just wanted to try to keep going for as long as possible and when I was the first Brit, I just wanted to try to hold on to that.

On her status as a super-sub, she added: I may not be as fast as the other girls but Im definitely strong and Im good on the tougher courses and very determined. I dont like people telling me no and people tell me no I like to prove them wrong and I feel Ive done that in the last couple of years and now I just want to keep going.

Full of smiles at the end of 26 gruelling miles, she said: I could see loads of Welsh flags. I saw some of my family with 2km to go, too. They dont often come to see me run as theyre always looking after my dog (a Siberian Husky called Bella). But they couldnt miss this opportunity so they flew out.

Was her fiancé Paul supporting? He was on the hill to try to keep me going! she said.

On her immediate plans, she said: I was just about to start my marathon prep for Valencia. This involves going to Font Romeu so I think Ill carry on with that plan. I think Im faster than my 2:25 PB but I need to prove it by putting it into a race.