Runners

098 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JULY 2018``````I RAN A BIT AT SCHOOL. I was a 400mrunner. Then I didn’t run again untilI was 36, after I‘d had my secondchild. Brendan Foster asked me if I’ddo the Great North Run. I thoughtit would be a good way to lose babyweight and it was a challenge.``````BACK THEN, I could never imaginerunning a full marathon. Then, in2010, I was watching the LondonMarathon and saw Jenni Falconer,the TV presenter, cross the finish``````line in three and a half hours. Shesaid, ‘I owe it all to [coaches] KarenWeir and Matt Roberts.’ I contactedKaren and signed up to be trainedby her. In 2011, I ran my firstmarathon and haven’t looked back.``````I TAKE MY TRAINERS with meeverywhere. If I go and stay withfriends, or to cities abroad, I’ll headout and explore. I don’t really likerunning on pavement. I like beingout in the greenery.``````THE MEDAL I’M MOST PROUD of is theone for the Marathon des Sables[MdS]. I’ve never been so frightenedand out of my depth than when Isigned up for that race. The weekbefore it, I wanted to pull out. I wasso panicked. To have completed it,and to have done quite well in it, isso satisfying. It was the first timeI’ve cried crossing the finish line.``````OUT OF 1,078 PARTICIPANTS at theMdS, only 175 were women. SinceI’ve come back I’ve encouragedlots of women to do it, or othermulti-day races. It’s amazinglyrewarding. The lifestyle is verybasic, but I loved that simplicity.``````COMPARED WITH MOST SPORTS,running is easy to fit in around ajob. I can run to or from work. Atthe weekend, when I do my longerruns, I get up early. I don’t want tobe away from the kids too much, soI fit it in around them.``````MY GREATEST EVER run was lastyear’s London Marathon. I achievedsomething I never thought I could:a sub-3:30 time. I trained reallyhard and to be able to pull it o onthe day felt brilliant. The older Iget, the faster I get. There are veryfew sports you can say that about.``````IF I COULD GO FOR A RUN with anyone,it would be Kathrine Switzer. I hada chat with her before this year’sLondon Marathon. It’s extraordinaryto think that when she first ranBoston [1967], women weren’tallowed to run the marathon. I lovethe determination she had to do it.``````RUNNING FRIENDS are food for thesoul. It’s that shared enthusiasm forsomething that gives you so much.Susie Chan [ultrarunner] hasbecome one of my best friends.I would never had done anyultrarunning if I hadn’t met her.``````IF I COULD DESCRIBE MYSELF as arunner in one word it would be‘happy’. Running makes me sohappy. I’m sure it’s partly theendorphins. But I also love thechallenge, I love the trainingand I do love a good medal.``````Follow Sophie’srunning on Twitter@RaworthontherunI’M A RUNNERINTERVIEW: RICK PEARSON. PHOTOGRAPH: TOM WATKINSSOPHIE RAWORTHTHE BBC BROADCASTER ON THE MARATHON DES SABLES AND HER BEST RACE EVER‘Comparedwith mostsports, runningis easy to it inaround a job’