I am not one of these inspirational people who start running to overcome health or weight issues. In 2005, aged 50, I was fit and healthy and regularly went cycling, horse riding and hill walking, but had never been interested in running. Then a friend suggested we enter Race for Life, and we trained together through wind, rain, sleet and hail, and from being unable to run even 1 mile without stopping, we built up the distance and toed the line on the day.
The atmosphere at Race for Life was incredible, and I was hooked! I started entering ‘proper’ timed races and discovered that I was actually quite good at this running lark, and bitterly regretted not taking it up when I was younger – who knows what might have happened if Race for Life had been around when I was in my 20s or 30s?
Then in 2012, I heard about parkrun and realised that it ticked all the Race for Life boxes and more: non-competitive, totally inclusive, and an opportunity to try running without joining a club. What’s more it was free, timed, weekly, and open to men! This type of event would have got me into running when I was younger if it had existed then, so I wanted to bring that opportunity to Aberystwyth.
So, a team of us got together, got funding, agreed a route with parkrun HQ, and in September 2012, Aberystwyth parkrun was born. Five years on from those burgeoning ideas, we are still dazed with the success of our event. I still get a buzz from seeing people improve and gain the confidence to tackle ‘proper’ races. I get just as much pleasure from seeing the ‘back of the pack’ regulars who have no such aspirations but enjoy the exercise and the social side. I have made a lot of friends and met many interesting people from across the UK. I enjoy volunteering far more than running parkruns, my preference being for long runs off the beaten track, but I still enjoy a 5k blast occasionally and it’s useful to see the event from the running perspective sometimes!
This year, at long last, I ran the London Marathon. This gave me a huge sense of achievement, but nothing can compare with becoming a parkrun Event Director – it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
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