Novice runners go from couch to 5k
JON MACPHERSON
AROUND 100 people of all ages and sizes laced up their trainers for an inspirational 5k run around Mercer Park in Clayton-leMoors.
It was a culmination of 10 weeks of hard training which has seen runners leaving the comfort of their sofas behind and getting healthy and active through the ‘Couch to 5K’ programme.
Anne Ellwood, who is a volunteer with the Clayton group, said: “It’s an NHS-recommended programme and the concept is to get people up from being a couch potato and out and about leading active lifestyles.
“It’s a run that’s developed over 10 weeks.
“They have been training three times a week and the finale was the 5k. It’s an amazing achievement.
“For some it’s quite a big challenge to even turn up. They hate it at the beginning and start off by saying ‘I can never do this’ but then that changes a few weeks later.
“There’s a wide range of ages from teenagers up to about 70.
“The offshoots of it are that people might continue running in social groups or join a running club.
“It’s a great activity and it does what it says on the tin. It does do the trick.”