Don’t plan to drive through Hackney on the Sunday after the General Election: the roads will be closed to traffic as runners take over and complete a series of running challenges. And that means the training has already started for the 1,000 children from schools across Hackney who are heading for the Vitality Run Hackney Half Marathon Schools’ Challenge.
The Schools’ Challenge consists of a 1.1 mile run through Homerton Road and the Lee Conservancy Road – ending on Hackney marshes. The training challenge is that youngsters should run a mile once or twice a week – totting up twelve miles of running before the Vitality Run Hackney Half Marathon starts.
“The Schools Challenge is a great opportunity to get children of all running abilities involved as it is neither a race nor a competition,” explains Hannah Herlihy, PE Co-ordinator at Rushmore Primary School, who has 45 children in years four, five and six signed up. Hannah and her colleagues organise two runs before school on Tuesday and Friday mornings. “The kids arrive early and eager to run. Afterwards they’re absolutely buzzing and are bright-eyed and ready for the day ahead,” said Hannah.
One pupil, ten year old Mehmetcan, has been a real star during the training. Hannah was full of praise: “Mehmetcan wasn’t really a runner and I was very pleased to see him sign up,” she said. “The effort he puts in to the weekly run is amazing. When he finds it challenging he battles on and doesn’t stop until his mile is completed. His commitment and progress makes him a great role model for other children, especially those who haven’t run before and are also finding this a challenge.”
“I like it and I enjoy the running each week,” said Mehmetcan. “When I first started, I couldn’t really do it, but as the weeks have gone on I’m getting better! I’m excited about the day on 10th May and I’ll feel good when I’ve done it! It’s made me want to do more running and sports.”
The Vitality Run Hackney Schools Challenge has also encouraged teamwork and bonding at Rushmore Primary School. “Those children who are more physically active and confident have taken on a leadership role to help their friends who were less active and this is a great experience for them all,” says Hannah, who has also noticed a distinct uplift in participation in lunchtime games and PE lessons from her young runners since training began.
New for this year is a partnership with Kate Percy, author of Go Faster Foods, which is packed with recipes that appeal to youngsters while providing the perfect fuel for active lifestyles. Every child who signs up to the Vitality Run Hackney Schools’ Challenge will be given a free Go Faster Food booklet and Kate is also running a competition among participating schools with the first prize being a talk in assembly from her and a young elite athlete about healthy nutrition.
There’s still time for schools to enter the Vitality Run Hackney Schools Challenge. For more information about it, and about the half marathon, go to: http://runhackney.com