Interviews

How did you first start fundraising? What was your motivation?

My brother, Graham, passed away from a rare strain of meningitis in 2019, aged 20. Since then, life hasn’t been the same for myself, my family, or  his friends. This is  something that will never make sense. Graham didn’t have any of the usual meningitis symptoms; he was fit, healthy and young. The illness took him within hours.

Why did you choose the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF)?

Since Graham’s death, I’m committed to raising as much money as I can for the Meningitis Research Foundation and for me, raising awareness is equally as important. When you’re at university, you think you’ve got your whole life ahead of you, but meningitis can strike very quickly. I encourage everyone to look up the symptoms of meningitis. It can affect anyone at any time. Being knowledgeable about this killer disease could help save the lives of those close to you.

What support do you get from the Meningitis Research Foundation? 

The MRF are very supportive. They offer  regular fundraiser check-ins, training webinars, a Facebook group for fellow marathon runners and  of course, massage and plenty of food and drinks at the end of the marathon!

What do you get from fundraising?

The key benefit for me personally is raising awareness, so I feel like I’m making a difference. There are also other benefits I’ve found such as meeting other people who have sadly suffered similar loss. I’ve made lots of friends through running and it’s given me the chance to spend time with like-minded people.

For people starting out, what are your top tips?

You don’t have to be a runner to run a marathon. Running events are about bringing people together and doing something positive. The main thing is to enjoy it. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone also gives you a great sense of achievement and is great for building resilience.

What are some of the most memorable ways you’ve raised money for MRF?

The Richmond Half Marathon was the first event I ran in Graham’s honour. Lots of Graham's friends and family ran it too. Most of us had never ran 5k prior to this, but everyone completed it. It was the first time I realised I could use running as a ‘force for good’, and since then I’ve ran in five events on behalf of MRF.

What are your goals for this year?

My personal running goal is aiming for a PB of sub 3hrs 25 in the 2024 TCS London Marathon . I’d better continue with the training!

My ongoing life goal is to raise both money and awareness for the Meningitis Research Foundation. So far we’ve raised over £36,000 in memory of Graham and I will continue to fundraise to defeat meningitis. If I can help raise awareness and it saves another family from going through what my family have been  through, then I will have made a difference.

I think Graham would be really proud of us. My just giving link is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RyanW2024

Learn more about MRF and how you can get involved here.

Triathlete and Hits Radio DJ Hattie Pearson is here to share her best triathlon tips for beginners. From her top hacks for gearing up without it costing a fortune, to keeping motivated and of course, crossing that finish line, here’s the lowdown on setting yourself up for triathlon success. Over to you, Hattie. 

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1. Set your goal and go smash it!

Choose an event that’s suitable for you and that you think you’ll enjoy. Book something that’s challenging enough that you’ll feel you’re pushing yourself, but nothing too difficult that you’ll end up injured because, where’s the fun in that? Find an event that’s local to you to save on travelling and additional stress. There are hundreds of events nationwide. 

After doing one sprint distance triathlon in 2021, I knew I wanted to up the distance; that’s when I applied to be part of Team Outlaw and got a place to compete in my first ever middle-distance triathlons at Outlaw Half Nottingham and Outlaw Half Holkham. I loved every minute!  

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2. Beg/borrow/buy second hand

Triathlon can be — but doesn’t need to be — expensive and very addictive. I’m telling you now, because once you’re in, there’s no looking back! Starting out, you definitely don’t need all the gear. Think of people you could potentially borrow from if you don’t have specific items. There is so much second-hand kit available online too; think of all those now-unwanted lockdown purchases. You could find an absolute steal and save yourself a fortune. I did my first triathlon on a hybrid bike with a rusty chain!

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3. Safety first 

Make sure you’re safe! Open water swimming comes with risks, and that’s why it’s always important to do it as part of an organised group. 

In terms of the cycling element, you’ll see bikes that are worth thousands of pounds that look like spaceships, but as long as yours is road worthy and safe, it doesn’t need to be anything special — put a baguette in a basket on the front of your bike if you really want to! Oh yeah, and don’t forget your helmet! You don’t need to spend thousands on a new bike; just hop on the saddle, give it a peddle and see whether you get the bug.

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4. Group training FTW

Whether it’s your local park run, your regional triathlon club or some colleagues from work who like riding their bikes at the weekend, try to find others to train with. Triathlon is a solo sport when it comes to race day, but when you’re putting in the hours of training, you want to have fun and making it social makes it less daunting. From joining communities like 10IronWomen and Manchester Triathlon Club, I’ve made friends for life and learned so much from more experienced athletes who are willing to share their tips.

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5. Smile for the camera!

Don’t worry about your time or pace on your first time out. You’re a newbie to the sport and there’s no need to put added pressure on yourself to be doing as well as Colin from accounts whose been doing triathlons for 30+ years! Bring supporters along with you. Recruit your friends or family to be there cheering you on and soak up the atmosphere. You’ve put in some hard work and the very least you deserve is a hug at the finish line and a lift home! 

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Hattie Pearson is a HITS Radio DJ and an ambassador for Outlaw Triathlon. You can use her discount code  – HATTIEXOL24 – for 5% off your race entry and Outlaw will donate a further 5% to Hattie’s chosen charity, Fund Her Tri.

https://www.instagram.com/hattiepearson/

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Shining a light on you – our incredible community members. We’re sharing your amazing stories, training tips, hacks and more. These inspire us all to keep showing up on the track, road, bike, or in the water.

This month we're talking to Esme - a runner from London, who rekindled her love of running in lockdown and has never looked back.

A bit about you:

What’s your story? How did you get into running?

I have a similar story to a lot of people - I started running during lockdown. I was a keen runner as a kid, competing in athletics and cross country at a regional level, but I only fell in love with the sport when I was older.

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What’s your favourite thing about running?

For me, running is a huge part of my life and allows me to be a happy, functional person. I love many sports, but the runner's high is incomparable to anything else.

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What’s your favourite running route? (We’re always looking for new recommendations!)

Running around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford

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What’s your best piece of advice for anyone starting out with running?

Variety! It’s really easy to fall into the trap of running the same distance, at the same pace every time you lace up.

Run to how you’re feeling and don’t limit yourself to the same 5k route!

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Best running training hack?

Have your running kit laid out (or easy to find) for the days when you don’t feel like it. Don’t overthink it. Just get dressed and soon you’ll be out the door.

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What’s in your training belt / backpack?

I love running with a vest for any longer runs and you can guarantee it will always be filled with snacks, and an emergency packet of sweets.

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Any pre or post-training rituals?

I’m still working on my post-run routine and I am by no means perfect at it but I do have a couple rules. E.g. don’t sit down when you get back from a big run or you won’t be moving for a while.

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You and events:

What event(s) are you most looking forward to doing next?

My next big event is UTS (a UTMB race in Snowdonia). I’ve covered the distance before, but the biggest challenge will be the elevation — over 3000m 😳

If money and distance were no object, what event would you love to take part in?

If money were no object, I would gather my friends and set off to run around the coast of Europe, just for the adventure. I'd love to see how far we'd make it and raise money for charity along the way.

Best event you’ve done?

My favourite ever event was Cambridge Half! It was the perfect race for me and I achieved a big personal best as a bonus.

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Quick-fire round:

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Best running song?

Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen

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Favourite pre or post-run snack?

Pre-run: Bagel, peanut butter and a banana.

Post-run: Protein shake and anything / everything in the fridge.

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Morning or evening run?

Evening

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Trainer of choice?

Vaporfly 3 Nike

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Best running product or accessory?

The COROS watch

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Music, podcasts, or nothing at all?

Nothing at all!

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Favourite supporting exercise for running?

Calf raises

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Favourite running app?

Strava

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Describe your ideal rest day in emojis… 3,2,1, go!

☕🚶🥐🐶🧑🍳🛏️

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In one word, what motivates you?

Achievements

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Shining a light on you – our incredible community members. We’re sharing your amazing stories, training tips, hacks and more. These inspire us all to keep showing up on the track, road, bike, or in the water.

This month we're talking to James Leeks - a triathlon enthusiast from Norfolk, who discovered the sport during the pandemic, and has never looked back thanks to the welcoming community and variation triathlons offer.

A bit about you:

What’s your story? How did you get into triathlons?

Growing up, I was a national-level swimmer. This was great in terms of fitness, but I broke my leg when I was 16, which forced me to find other activities to take part in. After uni, I enjoyed running marathons, but nothing serious – it was very casual and ad-hoc. Then after the pandemic, I started running more with my brother and from there, found a love for triathlons. This was definitely helped by my background in swimming. Since getting older, I've found I really like crosstraining, too!

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What’s your favourite thing about triathlons?

It's the community around triathlons that I love. I find there's more inclusivity with this sport, compared to other events. I really like that. I think it has something to do with the fact that with triathlons, there are three sports to be good at, which makes it more humbling. It helps to level the playing fields! Though, I'm still waiting for my bum to be hardened by the cycling seat.

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What’s your favourite running route? (We’re always looking for new recommendations!)

Swimming: I used to love swimming in the Serpentine when I lived in London.

Cycling: London to Brighton is manageable but challenging and you can get the train back home.

Running: I used to love running along the Thames Path from Kew Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge.

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What’s your best piece of advice for anyone starting out with triathlons?

One of my favourite question-and-answer quotes is: "What does it take to be called a runner?" "Start running". Also, it's important not to get too caught up on gadgets. You don't have to have the best bike in the world to compete. You also don't need to race the swim – you just need to finish it. Do more events to practice and don't get too hung up on one event. Instead, plan lots of different ones because if something goes wrong at one event (a puncture, for example), then you've trained for nothing. If you have multiple events lined up then it takes the pressure off. If you hate swimming, start off with a sprint or duathlon and then work your way up.

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Best triathlon training hack?

Alternate between running and walking when tackling longer distances. There tends to be too much criticism if you're seen walking in races but actually, it's a successful tactic for being able to run more in training. It can also reduce injuries and even help you to complete the course quicker. There are some incredibly quick triathletes who alternate between running and walking! Also, caffeine gels - you can really feel the buzz from these. Use with caution for longer distances though, as they can be harsh on the stomach. Finally, when you're on long training runs, do an 'out and back' route rather than a loop. This way, you won't be tempted to take a shortcut back.

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What’s in your training belt / backpack?

Shokz headphones, phone, a couple of gels (I'm a fan of Maurten's gels), and a drink (usually water or electrolytes).

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Any pre or post-training rituals?

A bit of luxury here – I have a Theragun (other massage gun brands are available!) It's great to use when sitting on the sofa, post-run.

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You and events:

What event(s) are you most looking forward to doing next?

I'm doing the Chemlsford Half Marathon next month (Oct 15th) and I've just signed up for the Outlaw Holkham Half Marathon next July.

If money and distance were no object, what event would you love to take part in?

I've always wanted to swim the English Channel. I'd also love to cycle from St Ives to John O'Groats one day...

Best event you’ve done?

It has to be the TSC London Marathon – it's just so epic. I have done others but London is on a whole different scale with the support you get from anyone and everyone.

Quick-fire round:

Best running song?

Randomly, I always find 'Sinnerman' by Nina Simone encourages me to pick up the pace.

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Favourite pre or post-run snack?

It's got to be beans and cheese on toast after a good training session.

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Morning or evening run?

Morning, every time.

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Trainer of choice?

The obvious option would be Nike Invincible Run 3, but I do have a soft spot for the minimalism of Atreyu The Artist.

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Best running product or accessory?

My Shokz OpenRun headphones.

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Music, podcasts, or nothing at all?

It's either podcasts or Audible. Some of my favourites include 'Triathlon Mockery', 'How They Train', 'How I Built This' and 'Off Menu'.

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Favourite supporting exercise for running?

Cycling. This is a new revelation for me, but it means you can put more hours in without the impact. This helps a lot with triathlon training, too, as so much of a triathlon is on the bike – the more you can improve that section, the better.

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Favourite running app?

Audible!

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Describe your ideal rest day in emojis… 3,2,1, go!

🍨🏖️🍻

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In one word, what motivates you?

Pride. I think about how proud my friends, family, and I will feel about what I've achieved. Plus, the money I've raised!

Who better to help with our event training prep than GB’s 1500m world champion, Josh Kerr? The Let’s Do This team caught up with him to chat about everything from his top tips, to ‘that’ gold medal-winning moment – plus, the science behind why he pees on a pen every morning. Want to know how to train like a pro? Join us to get race day ready with the champion himself.

Josh Kerr on his gold medal-winning mindset

“If you trust that it’s going to be there, it’ll be there”, Josh Kerr wrote in his journal before the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. This was the memorable race that would see him scoop the gold medal. “That means that I trust that my legs are going to feel good. I trust that my mind’s going to be making the right decisions and I’m going to be sharp on the day”, Kerr explains. His positive mindset has clearly played a role in his route to running success.  

Josh’s competitive nature appears to be another winning factor. We were curious to know what went through his mind in that final 200 metres. “It was all about putting pressure on”, he says, “I needed to make sure that Ingebrigtsen felt my presence. He kept looking over at me every 100 to 200m or so in that last 600, so I was like ‘Okay, I know he’s definitely not having an easy time of it’. My goal was to make sure that he was feeling pressure on that top bend so he was as tired as possible on that home stretch. Clearly, it worked. What else can we learn from Kerr’s success? We asked Josh to share his top training tips.  

Josh Kerr’s top three training tips

1.   Don’t compare yourself. “I run probably 50 to 60 miles less than some people I’m racing against […] I look at some people’s sessions and think ‘I can’t do that’. I’m still a world champion, but I can’t do those sessions. So don’t worry about what you can’t do – worry about what you can do”.

2.   Embrace your nerves. “When you’re in an individual sport and you look left and right and everyone’s trying to beat you, it’s a very difficult sport. There’s a reason you’re nervous and it’s because you care, but if you care too much and you get too nervous, you’re not going to do well. Just take a deep breath and go out and do what you do every day”.

3.   Prioritise rest.  “When I was in college, I got invited to run in New York in the murals mile and I spent the whole day walking around because I’d never been there. I got to the event and I was absolutely knackered. Staying off your feet and priming your body the day before is smart”.

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Kerr’s nutritional recipe for success

Of course, nutrition plays a key role in any athlete’s training plan. Kerr advises against calorie counting and focussing on nutrition, instead. “I haven’t missed a single training day through illness or injury for two years”, he says. “Just make sure your body’s getting what it needs. That’s why I feel I’m hitting the peak right now. Because I fuel myself with the right amount of veg, protein, carbs and fat so my body can hit the tarmac every day and feel fine”. So, what does a gold medallist’s meal plan look like? 

Josh gave us the lowdown on his nutritional routine. “Monday night, Thursday night and Saturday night before sessions, we hit carbs pretty hard. Then we lower them the days after a session. So for example, Tuesday morning we’ll work out and then it’ll be a protein day for the rest of the day – pretty low on carbs. That’s the way we work things”.

Getting to know the real Josh Kerr

Off the track, Josh has one daily ritual that we weren’t expecting. “Err, yeah I can talk about it”, he grins, before divulging: “Every morning, I pee on a pen”. There’s a handy reason for it. “It tells me my hydration status so I can change my water/ sodium intake before training”, he says. “It’s a reasonably disgusting device. You pee in a cup every morning and it doesn’t look great, but it helps in making sure that I’m hydrated enough in the sessions”.

Once that’s been taken care of, Josh enjoys journalling and morning runs, where his training is often underscored by hard electronic dance music. “Every single time I put them on, my headphones tell me to turn down the music”, he says. On rest days, his go-to ritual is to get up early and have an ice bath, before napping for the rest of the day”. Josh also looks forward to spending time with his loved ones. It’s clear from our chat that he’s very much a family man. When asked who his biggest fan is, Josh replied “My family and my Mrs. My family as a whole”.

That rounds-off our chat with Josh Kerr. We left feeling inspired and ready to take on our next challenge. Though, we might leave the pee pen ritual – for now.

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Shining a light on you – our incredible community members. We’re sharing your amazing stories, training tips, hacks and more. These inspire us all to keep showing up on the track, road, bike, or in the water.

This month we're talking to Jennifer Chambers - a running enthusiast from Melbourne, now living in London. She discovered running when she moved to Europe and has used it as a way to discover more of the UK and Europe - and herself - ever since.

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A bit about you:

What’s your story? How did you start running?

My background is swimming and rowing, and I used to do Pilates a lot when I lived in Melbourne. However, when I moved to London, I got into running as it was an accessible way to see the city (and far more affordable than Pilates!) so I've been running for about eight years now. I started out going to the free community events that Nike ran, and eventually started going to all their different events across Europe. It gave me the bug for using running as a vehicle to travel and see different parts of the world. I now always try to plan trips around the runs I do.

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What’s your favourite thing about running?

Running is a great way to explore places and get to know the cities more, whether that's where you live or new places you visit – especially at different times of the day to everyone else. It's a great opportunity to find a moment of zen in a hectic city. For example, having Hampstead Heath to yourself at 6 a.m. on a Monday vs. going for a run with everyone at 9am on a Saturday.

A lot of running for me is really about learning about my personality and respecting my body. It helps with being less impatient and learning to have the quiet confidence to trust the process or the plan my coach made for me. It's okay to fail or have setbacks; you've just got to keep trying, pick yourself back up and take the next step. You don't have to be a perfectionist.

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What’s your favourite running route? (We’re always looking for new recommendations!)

There's a great loop around the Serpentine from Covent Garden. It's about five miles: head down to Trafalgar Square and run down Pall Mall to Buckingham Palace, up through Green Park to Hyde Park corner and towards Serpentine and then loop back. Great to do in your lunch break or with your team.

‍Other favourite routes:
Camden to Hampstead Heath and back – that's about 10km.

From Camden, along the canal to Victoria Park is great.

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What’s your best piece of advice for anyone starting out?

Listen to the your body, don't go too fast too quickly and never run through an injury!

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Best running/cycling hack?

Buy a running belt! (I've broken 2 iPhones by putting them in my sports bra from sweat damage! True story!)

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What’s in your running belt / backpack?

iPhone and keys. For longer runs I use a Camelbag backpack to carry water and snacks.

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Any pre or post-training rituals?

Post-run foam rolling, if I'm being very good ;)

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You and events:

What event(s) are you most looking forward to doing next?

I've just signed up for the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon - I've never been to Cambridge so I'm really excited to use this race as an excuse to see the city - I've heard great things!

If money and distance were no object, what event would you love to take part in?

In the UK, I would really love to do Race to the Stones - it's a 100km ultra marathon paved in English history from Roman river crossings to Bronze Age forts. It's 100km so something that I'd need to work up to...one day!

Further afield, I saw this documentary about a Belgian dentist called Karel Sabbe who did the Via Alpina. It's a 2,650km trail through the Alps from Muggia in Italy to Monaco, which looks amazing. I'd also like to do the GR20 in Corsica; it's 112 miles of hiking and/or running. I attempted it a few years ago but sadly got injured. I'd like another attempt at completing it.

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Best event you’ve done?

I did Vitality London 10,000 when I'd just moved to London. It was a great way to see all the sites, with the route running right through the city centre.

I also loved the Madeira Sky Race (not-so-surprisingly, in Madeira). It was a real mental and physical battle, but the energy from my fellow race participants and at the fuel stations was so incredible, it helped motivate me to the finish line. It ended up being as much an out-of-body experience, as much as it was a physical one.

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Quick-fire round:

Best running song?

I love some SoundCloud mixes, especially 'Decade Mix' by Flight Facilities. One song that I love right now would be 'I Want Your Soul' by Armand Van Helden. Also, my coach recommended 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush (the Stranger Things remix, obvs).

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Favourite pre or post-run snack?

I only run on coffee.

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Morning or evening run?

Ideally, I chase the sunset runs; but usually, morning runs wake me up for work.

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Trainer of choice?

I'm very brand loyal to Asics

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Best running product or accessory?

Obvs the Ciele hat

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Music, podcasts, or nothing at all?

Music for short runs and podcasts for the long ones. Podcasts-wise, I'm constantly lolling to The Imperfects, or getting confused by Huberman [Lab], or fawning over Rich Roll. I'm not quite at the 'nothing at all' stage of running yet.

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Favourite supporting exercise for running?

The [boring] rehab exercises my physio gave me, side planks and death-by-glute exercises.

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Favourite running app?

Strava. My average daily time on it is shockingly high.

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Describe your ideal rest day in emojis… 3,2,1, go!

😴🏖️🏄🍷🥗

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In one word, what motivates you?

Stats!

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You don’t need to be a fast runner to work at Let’s Do This, but that doesn’t stop Let’s Do This data scientist, Simon Wright, from running sub 3 hour marathons in his spare time.

A 2:53:20 marathoner, triathlete and enthusiastic orienteer-er, Simon added yet another string to his bow this month when he paced the 2022 London Marathon.

Read on to hear from Simon himself about his experience as a London Marathon pacer – and how you could get involved too!

Becoming a London Marathon pacer

I like running. But I love maths*. So maybe it’s unsurprising that I found myself drawn to the prospect of pacing for races. 

I first got involved in pacing very informally last year, pacing a couple of my colleagues to 10k PBs. After that, I decided to give it a go officially this year at the London Landmarks Half Marathon, managing to soak up the atmosphere while leading around a hardy band of 20 runners to a 1:45 finish. And what better place to look to replicate that feeling than at the London Marathon?

In June, I found out that I’d been selected to pace the race at 3:15, the top end of my three suggested times, which would be a challenge!

So, what is pacing?

The premise is very simple: it’s very common for runners to get very excited on the day of a big race and fly off the line.

Wouldn’t it be great not to have to worry about a burst of adrenaline threatening your race from the off? That’s where pacers come in, to run a consistent pace for the whole race to give you one less thing to worry about.

Preparing to pace

In the run-up to the race, I tuned up with some practice pacing at Wimbledon Common parkrun (mostly successfully!) and then again at The Big Half, getting some experience pacing in a crowded atmosphere.

The most important thing is to make sure you hit the splits. Not going faster than the splits, not “banking time” in case things go wrong, but running at almost exactly the target split the whole time. I did a lot of 6-8 mile runs at this target pace to try and lock in that feeling, so it would be natural on race day.

Race day

Race morning was a 5:30am start. Despite the fact that I had to be at the start earlier than most, there were still plenty of other nervous-looking runners eating breakfast on the train to Blackheath. I went for two bagels with peanut butter and a banana, which is nothing new for me on race day, just slightly more than normal!

By 8am all 76 pacers were congregated in a function room in a hotel to talk through the final bits of logistics. We’d been told to be quiet on the way there as people in the hotel might be asleep, but I think the steel drummer at the front door had already taken care of that! All that was left to do was pick up our flags and our lifelines: the pacing bands (a piece of paper with the split time at every mile) and a 5k board to wear round our wrist to check our progress. Even my maths gets a bit suspect when tired at mile 24!

It wasn’t until I walked to the start that I appreciated the vastness of the event. Over 40,000 people from all over the world at the start line, all nervously waiting to take on the same 26.2 mile challenge, hoping that the forecast wind and rain wouldn’t materialise. After a paradoxically short wait that felt like forever in the pen finding a small crew who were in for 3:15, we were off. 

Ready, set, pace!

Strangely, the first couple of miles are a couple of the hardest when pacing – it’s very easy to get swept along with the adrenaline of the masses!

This is particularly true in London as there’s a decent downhill section in the first three miles, so you can get well ahead of schedule. There were no issues this time, getting into the habit of checking the watch at the mile board – 11 seconds ahead at 4 miles, perfect.

The first half of the race was spent chatting to the runners who were following us, most of them raising money for various charities, ticking off the miles and soaking in the atmosphere around Greenwich, Rotherhithe, and the crowd on Tower Bridge. 

After we came through half-way 35 seconds up–just as planned–we saw the elite men come the other direction. You can’t help but feel a surge of energy from how quickly they’re still going, 22 miles in! 

Sadly over the next 8 miles, most of our original pace group dropped off one by one, still running fantastic times but not quite able to hold the pace. It’s one of the hardest things about pacing, you have to keep going exactly on schedule, and can’t adjust to help people who you’ve been running with for the past 2 hours.

The last 5 miles of the London Marathon are spectacular. I was lucky enough to run the Boston Marathon earlier this year, and the crowds at London may have been even bigger and louder than there. It seemed there was constant noise from Tower Hill, down the Embankment and carrying everyone the whole way to the finish line. 

Personally it was quite nice to have worked hard but not feel on the absolute limit in the last few miles, soaking it all in as I picked up a few runners who had faded a bit in the middle but were finishing strong.

I crossed the line in 3 hours, 14 minutes and 37 seconds. 

It’s always a relief to stop the watch on the line and realise you’ve managed to pace the race well. Afterwards I managed to catch up with a couple of the runners who had been in the group for the first couple of hours who had still managed to run big Personal Bests – this is why we pace!

How to get into pacing

I’d highly recommend pacing as a totally unique way to experience events. 

It’s not quite as tiring (at least not physically) as racing and often you get even more of the atmosphere – mainly because you’re so identifiable and the crowd love cheering for the pacer! It’s also a great way to meet and speak to lots of interesting runners.

Pacing is for everyone – at London there were pacers for finish times from 3 hours through to 7 hours 30 minutes. Provided you can keep going at the pace and you’re friendly and encouraging to everyone around you, you can be involved! 

If you are interested,  there are sites you can volunteer with that provide pacers for races across the country. Alternatively, Google events you're interested in racing and see if they have pacer opportunities.

As for me, I’m hoping to race the 2023 London Marathon, but I’m already considering my 2024 pace application!

*Maths skills are not required to pace!

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If all that pacing chat got you excited about taking on a big city race for yourself, check out our full list of marathons, and start training for your own incredible race day experience.

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Our mission is to inspire people across the world to come together and experience moments that make them feel alive. We believe the true joy and beauty of these moments comes from the diverse experiences, opinions and actions of the people on the start line.

In honour of International Women’s Day 2022 and this year’s #BreakTheBias theme, we wanted to start a conversation about the gender bias in our industry. We reached out to some of our incredible female race organisers to talk about their experience as female leaders in endurance events.

Below you can find excerpts of these conversations, covering everything from their experiences of gender bias at work to what can be done to advance gender equality in our industry going forward.

RACHAEL WOOD

Managing Director at Nice Work

Nice Work put on 240+ self-professed ‘friendly races’ a year across the UK. Their events are designed to be fully inclusive and aimed at runners of all abilities, ages and backgrounds.

LARA DEBENHAM

Co-founder of LK adventures

LK adventures aim to take away any intimidation around races and events by hosting relatively small guided runs through the hills of Wales. Their events are inclusive, adventurous and open to all.

ROSIE STREATER

Co-Founder of Strive Fitness

Strive Fitness are an event organiser with a difference. Rather than exclusively working on races, they organise a range of training events like group runs and weight training sessions.

ON UNCONSCIOUS GENDER BIAS

While improvements made towards total gender equality should be celebrated, there are lots of barriers women face that men don’t. One of those being the experience of work. All of our female race organisers noted aspects of their career that have been impacted by their gender.

Lara, co-founder of LK Adventures, told us that people don’t automatically respect her skills and experience as a woman:

“I come from an engineering background and at times as a young female doing onsite visits, you’re not always seen in the professional sense first”. Lara said that today she enjoys working with female trainers as she feels it creates a supportive atmosphere for women to train in:

“I think the environment you create working with women is particularly positive for females experiencing an event. For example, they may be more likely to speak up if they need to slow down–it helps to create a safe space of inclusion.”

Rosie, co-founder of Strive Fitness, has also experienced challenges as a woman working alone: ”I never liked to be alone working within a gym or doing home visits with clients. It felt like a potentially vulnerable position to be in”.

Rachael, managing director at Nice Work, feels that being a woman has directly impacted her work ethic: “I do think as women we have to work a lot harder. I’ve always been extremely determined and hard working and I think that feels like the only recipe for success”.

ON THE FEMALE EVENT EXPERIENCE  

We know that the stats showing how many women attend events only tell half the story. We wanted to find out if our female organisers believe women feel encouraged, empowered and confident at events.

Rachael told us that pre-covid, the start line would generally be men only: “Women would move further back leaving the front line up to the men, so I’d go on a crusade with my microphone, inviting women to take their place at the front of the race”.

Interestingly, she’s seen that covid-safety measures have helped women feel less intimidated at races: “We started doing staggered start times and a lot of women told me they felt less intimidated and that the new measures eased their race day nerves”.

Rosie from Strive Fitness said she typically sees a drop in numbers of women at races and training in winter over fears around running in the dark. She finds that women who drop their mileage over the winter are often losing out on a key base training phase:

“I really struggle with this personally too. Knowing that you’ll probably be safe and actually feeling safe out running are unfortunately not the same thing.”

ON TRAINING AND SAFETY

To support her female clients with their winter training, Rosie and the Strive team are working on creating a ‘safe group’ of female runners who can run together outside the winter.

Lara at LK Adventures is also passionate about creating a safe space for more women to get involved in sport: “Doing it in a group takes away the stress of ‘I don’t know where I’m going or am I safe?’ Because there are guides there and other people. Also women can make friends, improving that feeling of inclusion even more”.

Strive Fitness also have plans to create a weekly group winter training session for women: “We’re hoping we can also bring in a self-defence expert for some sessions so our runners can feel a little more confident when out alone.”

ON BREAKING THE BIAS

This year’s IWD theme is encouraging women to break the bias, remove stereotypes and challenge discrimination.

Lara believes some of these barriers can be broken down by focussing on creating inclusive event experiences:

“It’s important to nurture female athletes in general. An athlete is anyone who’s interested in sport and we should support them in all stages of their journey”.

Lara has found that introductory and intermediate courses are a great way to encourage women to feel more confident in taking on races and running in general:

“The hardest bit about running is the first bit because you’re constantly out of breath. Having people all together at a similar level gives you that space to think, okay I don’t have to be at a certain level to still be a runner.”

Rosie thinks representation online can help:

“Social media is helping break down barriers. There are far more women at the top of the game in fitness now than there were when I was starting out. They may have been around then but I didn’t have the exposure to them.”

Rachael has set measures in place to encourage women to feel comfortable on the day. At Nice Work events, she has made changes to everything from the pre-race briefing to the post-race prize giving:

“At the beginning of the race, I remind and encourage the men to look behind them, explaining that there may be a super fast female that’s going to overtake you and they should empower them to do that.”

Rachael also calls out the female winners first, “The industry body is outdated. The language is always male then female, and the veteran prize category for males starts at 40+ but 35+ for females! There is inequality there already”.

To #BreakTheBias, both men and women in positions of power must ask what they can do to help in their respective fields. Representation matters and we’re committed to ensuring that whatever your background, gender or circumstance, you feel welcome and empowered to take part. These conversations have highlighted issues we as a business can work on to make sure women feel empowered to enter races, safe whilst they’re training and included on race-day.

Thank you to Rachael, Lara and Rosie for inspiring us with your work and using your position to create inclusive and safe environments for women.

Thanks to ladies like you, there us so much cause for celebration over just how far the industry has come, as Rosie summed up nicely:

“It was 1967 when Katherine Switzer jumped the barrier at the Boston Marathon. That’s within my mum’s lifetime. Now she watches her daughter run ultra marathons and be a race director–that’s progress.”

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