Political View: Let's get Peterborough Running
We’ve had a lot of heat these last few weeks, one in the exceptional temperatures and secondly in the heat caused by some of my columns, writes John Howard, Conservative Group press officer.
I hope my columns help give an insight into the workings and politics of the town hall and at least give you the chance to form your own view.
I have always stood up for what I think is right, and as I’m only human there are times I’ve been wrong, but I have always had the best intentions for the city and for the ward I serve.
This week, I want to talk about getting Peterborough moving. And that’s not even in the context of our Combined Authority Mayor’s vision of getting us moving, I am talking physically. Those who know me well will know I’m a runner. But this hasn’t always been the case. At the age of 30, I had a crisis… hopefully not a mid-life crisis, whilst watching the London Marathon. I hadn’t run since being at school and wasn’t very physically fit, but that moment, after watching the London Marathon from the settee most years, I suddenly decided I wanted to run a marathon.
I set London as the target and luckily, I had a group of close friends who I managed to drag into the mission too. The greatest incentive was telling people I was going to run a marathon and them laughing at the suggestion, I think this gives you an indication of my fitness at the time, and it helped to boost my determination.
A year of running starting from ground zero commenced, and as the year went on, the distances increased and of course the inevitable London Marathon rejection letter came through, but one year on as I dreamt of, I ran the Brighton Marathon. Why do I share this? Because if I can get running at the age of 30 from my poor fitness levels, then there is hope for everyone. And of course, you don’t have to run a marathon, just having some time on your feet can make a huge difference.
We are lucky in Peterborough to have a parkrun at Ferry Meadows (5KM), and we have two Junior parkruns too – one at Central Park, and one at Bretton Park which are a 2KM distance for those aged 4-14 years.
Parkruns have no entry charge, and there is no judgement on time or pace. Every single runner or walker is supported and cheered to the finish. And let’s celebrate that Peterborough hosts one of the top half marathons in the UK. The AEPG Great Eastern Run takes place this year on Sunday 12th October. And if the half marathon distance is still too much, there is also the Anna’s Hope 5KM race which will give you a cut of the stunning route and a chance to soak up one of the best race atmospheres in the country. There are many couch to 5KM plans that can really help too.
One of my proudest achievements was to help support the return of the Great Eastern Run, working with Councillor Steve Allen, and three years into the return, it continues to grow and I’m thankful to the current administration for continuing to support this amazing event.
As I head towards my 40th Marathon, it proves that anything is possible! I’d love to hear if there are still barriers to running Parkruns, the locality etc, as it would be great to get Peterborough moving. Can we see a record attendance at the Great Eastern Run?
We are fortunate that Peterborough has many supportive running clubs, reach out to them and let’s hear some amazing stories ahead of this year’s Great Eastern Run.