Andy's 6th Great North Run, in support of the Royal British Legion
11 Sep 24
Charity FundraisingCharity
On Sunday 8th September, our Company Security Manager - Andy Blake - took part in his sixth Great North Run! This time, it was in honour of the Royal British Legion.
Here's what he had to say...
My sixth Great North Run was an epic, but a very soggy day. It rained heavily at the start where we are all in our zones and it didn’t hold up for the majority of the race!
There were over 60,000 runners, so it can take between 30 minutes to an hour to even cross the start line after the race starts (I crossed it 40 mins after the start!), so it's a long time to be stood in your shorts and vest getting soaked. Nonetheless though, it’s fantastic atmosphere in the start zones - which does definitely compensate for the waiting around.
I am a self-declared amateur runner – definitely no pro and I try not to take myself seriously. After I left the Army in 2008 and therefore not ‘needing’ to stay fit for my job any more, I chose to take up running just to stay in shape.
It does get harder to stay fit as you get older (I’m 56 now), but I regularly run anywhere between 10 and 20 miles a week. To top that up, I run something like 10 x 10K races a year and a couple of 10 mile races, purely to enjoy the event atmosphere, to push myself and of course, to collect the medals along the way.
I only do one half marathon a year and it’s always the Great North Run. This was my 6th Great North Run in a row, so I consider myself a bit of a veteran of the event now and I’m already signed up for the next two as well.
It’s always an incredible day from start to finish; the TV crews (this is a globally watched event), the celebs, the costumes (from the giant inflatable Donald Trump, to the pair of guys carrying a fridge each and the four person team carrying a replica of the Tyne Bridge) the atmosphere, and of course, the crowds.
The crowds are astonishing. Come rain or shine, the Newcastle supporters are always layers deep the whole 13.1 miles across the city to the finish at South Shields, high fiving, calling your name out, handing out jelly babies, ice pops, orange slices…they are as much of a feature of the Great North Run as any other. There's also lots of bands/choirs/entertainment along the route, the famous Tyne Bridge, the shouts of ‘oggy, oggy, oggy !!’ (every GNR runner knows that sound), and the Red Arrows (apart from this year)... it's just brilliant.
This has become an event very close to my heart and is the one I look forward to the most in my race calendar. I always support a charitable cause when I run the Great North, and this year I chose to raise as much money as I could for the Royal British Legion (RBL). As a former soldier, I know the value of the RBL to both current and former service personnel who need support; indeed I have personal friends and former colleagues who have benefited from their services when they have needed it most, so it is a relatable and very easy choice.
The RBL is always hard at work, day in day out all year round, helping members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. From support with care and independent living for the more elderly veterans, through to mental and physical wellbeing via centres providing specialist injury rehabilitation and recovery, crisis support, alcohol support, housing and financial guidance, the RBL is committed to ensuring our country’s Armed Forces community can access the help they need.
They sent me a running vest, which I was delighted to wear on the day; I set a target of £500 and to date, have raised a fantastic £644 (as of 10th September).
If you'd like to support Andy's Great North Run for this wonderful cause, there's still time! You can visit his JustGiving page to donate.
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