Fact- Running brings people together!
Meeting up with old friends for the weekly parkrun, making new friends during a marathon or making new friends whilst on your running holidays! All 3 are great ways to meet new people that share the same passion as yourself…. RUNNING!
I’ve been on my travels recently with two running trips in as little as 2 weeks. First up was a fantastic trip to Ireland (Derry) for a ‘Masters’ cross country race. The following weekend saw a visit to the Spanish resort of Benidorm for some winter sun and a 10k road race. Both trips were a success on the running front, but more importantly, it was the experience that made both trips so enjoyable. Both trips involved very early starts with the alarm clock ringing at 4am to catch early flights, but it was all definitely worth it!
In Derry I met some extremely talented ‘Master Runners’. It really inspired me and showed that if you work hard and commit to the training you can still improve and compete at a high level as you get older. The experience was a real eye opener into the realm of what is achievable if you put the effort in.
The trip to Benidorm was a more relaxed affair with a larger focus on the training than the race itself. I enjoyed some great training runs in the sun and did quite well in the race which was cool. But yet again, the meeting of new running friends made the trip so special.
With new friends made from all over the UK and even old friendships strengthened, it showed me the power of the running community. No big egos or show-offs, just a load of very nice people coming together, having fun, which is a great credit to the running community. Running has given me some great experiences recently – a fab 2017 with plenty of fun memories to look back on and more to look forward to, I hope!
So if you’re reading this and you’re thinking about giving running a try, I’d highly recommend it! Join a social running group, a club, or take part in your local parkrun and you will make lots of new friends along the way!
And that’s one of the great things about running – the friendships it brings to your life!
Happy and healthy running!