Travel: Putting your feet up in Northumberland
First there was Paula Radcliffe. An inspiration to amateur long-distance runners everywhere, she remains a heroine, not least for her world marathon record of 2:15:25 which has stood since 2003.
And now there’s Jo Pavey, who raced into our hearts last year after she won the 10,000m gold medal at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich, ten months after giving birth to her second child, to become the oldest female European champion in history at the age of 40 years and 325 days.
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Hide AdThese amazing women give us 40-something runners hope for our own athletic careers, such as they are.
The highlight of last year’s calendar for my running buddies and me was our summer fixture, the Northumberland Coastal Run. Organised by the Alnwick Harriers, the 14ish-mile (depending on whether the tide is in or out) route starts on sand from Beadnell Bay following road, footpath and track, keeping runners as close to the sea as possible, before the Chariots of Fire glory finish on the sand at Alnmouth.
We were not going for a personal best, we were running in this race for the simple joy of being in the fresh air and sharing time with friends. Each of my running buddies has two young kids apiece, and the opportunity for two hours of uninterrupted chat is rare indeed.
There are no mile or kilometre markers along the fantastically scenic route, although an hour or so in, there is a welcome hand-painted sign that reads, “about halfway”. Later on there is an even better one that says “about two miles to go”.
As someone who has yet to work out how to operate her digital watch, this low-tech approach is most appealing.
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