Helen, an 84-year-old runner, is gearing up for her next challenge: the 5k at RunThrough’s Southampton Running Festival on June 16th.
Helen’s journey into running began just seven years ago when her three sons started participating in the Poole local 5k. Encouraged by their enthusiasm, at age 79, Helen decided to give running a try, despite never having run before in her life. Little did she know, this decision would change her life forever.
Since that first run, Helen has become a regular at her local 5k, showing up every week, rain or shine, to tackle the 5k course. Her dedication and perseverance have paid off, with her achieving a personal best time of 31 minutes and 26 seconds at the age of 84, an impressive feat.
Despite not having a computer to track her own race times, Helen’s sons faithfully relay the information to her, eagerly awaiting her call at lunchtime to share her latest results. Each week, before her race, Helen’s mantra remains the same: “I’ll try my best.”
Now, Helen has set her sights on a new challenge in Southampton, RunThrough’s Southampton Running Festival, scheduled for June 16th. Helen is hoping to achieve an age-related national record, with the current female 5k record being Sheila Symond’s 45 minute 15 second time at age 86 in 2019. With the support of her family and the assistance of the RunThrough team, Helen is ready to push herself to new heights and inspire others with her determination and resilience.
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