My youngest lad wanted to do parkrun in the March a few years ago, he was 8 and I was 8 stone over weight! His friend did it with his dad and wanted us to do it. I dragged myself around after 1/2 a mile he ran of with his friend and their dad. I crossed the finish line and vomited into my mouth.

But strangely I loved it.

A few people from work had seen me at parkrun and they ran with a group and said I should come along so I did expecting to embarrass myself but it didn’t happen the way it was done anyone can do it.

3 months later thanks to support from a couple of leaders and plenty of members I had gone from non runner to completing the potter half and in a pretty respectable time.

Since then I’ve done a marathon (I won’t be doing another) all the family run my partner has joined and has gone from non runner to doing a half marathon with Stoke fit. The kids run one reluctantly and one lives it. Thanks to Stoke fit getting me started the whole family is fitter healthier and happier………oh and still has a crate of Carling in the shed thanks to my son getting placed in an adults race, I’m sure they will both join up once they are old enough.

By the way I hate running but I love running in a group it doesn’t feel like running.