The
26th of April was the launch of the Adidas Run Reigate Half Marathon
and was a historic moment of being with two Olympic running legends Shireen Bailey (British Olympic 800 and 1500m runner) and the grandfather of British distance running Ron Hill
(European and Commonwealth marathon
winner). Both signed autographs, were taking photos and shared their sports
experiences in Simply Sports. They are the Race ambassadors of the first Run
Reigate Half Marathon, will take place at 9.00am on Sunday 21st September 2014,
just a month for this great event!!! Bailey and Hill were interviewed by Simply
Sports.
Why
do you recommend the Adidas Run Reigate Half Marathon?
Shireen
Bailey: Because running is a great way to run off stress, just relax and enjoy
yourself. It is good for you. And Dave Kelly (the race director) who I run with
regularly each week has been so enthusiastic about it.
Ron
Hill: It is a beautiful course lots of country lanes, the weather should be
good in September which make easier for the runners to get a good time and also
to enjoy the race.
Ron Hill, Dave Kelly and Shireen Bailey during the launch of Run Reigate.
Why
do you recommend running?
S.
B.: Running is my passion and I kind of want everybody to do it. Does not matter
how slowly but everyone is capable of doing the 13 miles training properly. And
actually enjoying it and feeling a sense of achievement.
R.
H.: Because it is the easiest form of exercise that you can take. If you want
to be a running you can just go outside your own front door and start and come
back and finish and it is as simple as that.
Why
a half marathon can be special in Reigate?
S.
B.: I think Reigate is a lovely little town. Beautiful grounds to start off in
the park (Priory Park) and to finish in the park (the route). Nice way of getting round, seeing parts of
it that you might not see. And it will be an amazing day.
Are
you going to take part in this race?
S.
B.: I am not going to take part because I am going to help do the training. I
am going to be there on the day encouraging and supporting everybody. It would
be hard for me to train and be enthusiastic for everybody else so I would give
this one a miss.
R.
H.: I do not think so. I am flying in from France, but I will be here to watch
the race.
Shireen Bailey in Simply Sports.
Can
everybody run a half-marathon?
S.
B.: I think everybody can as long as they don’t go mad, build up their training
gradually. This is the key, otherwise we get injured or get a lack of
motivation but it is a great thing to do. If done sensibly everybody can do it.
R.
H.: It may be possible I mean if you look the London Marathon some of the
people at the back are very old people running seven or eight hours so that is
very good. If you are determined it is possible.
What
are your tips?
S.
B.: My tips would be depending on where they start from so if you have never
run before like I have said take it slowly minute on minute by gradually
building up, taking your time. Obviously, if you can run that distance anyway
and you want to do your best do some interval training, but take time to train,
correct footwear, and kit and enjoy.
R.
H.: If they are training for a marathon, I always recommend people to keep a
training log. In my training log I have every run that I have done since
September 1956, everything is in there. This is so that you can see what kind
of training works for you. Generally, the more miles or kilometers you run, the
better you would do the marathon.
Do
you continue running? Every day?
S.
B.: I do. I do not run every day I do a lot of running clubs with people. I run
properly four or five times a week.
R.
H.: I have never missed a day of training for over 49 years. And for 26.2 years
I ran twice a day and once on Sunday. I have never missed a run, 13 times a
week.
What
is your motivation?
S.
B.: I just love it. It is in my blood I have done it since I was twelve. It is
my way of beating stress, mentally it makes me feel great. That is not to say I
always want to do it, it is very hard sometimes getting out the front door but
you can guarantee on thing once you have done it you feel brilliant.
R.
H.: In those days when I was running twice a day my motivation was to be the
best runner that I could. Now my motivation, I only run once a day, is to get
this feeling of being with nature, being healthy in the mind and also healthy
in the body. And I still compete.
What
is your next challenge?
S.
B.: My next challenge is to get as many people running the Reigate Half
Marathon as I possibly can. Go for it!
R.
H.: My next challenge will probably, maybe a park run or maybe a 10k.
Do
you miss the top level competition?
S.B.:
I did it for ten years. To be honest then I gave it up because I had children
that took my mind off it. I do not miss it because I still keep it up not top
level competition obviously, but I still keep running. I have moved on now and
I try to encourage everybody else.
R.H.:
I am in the over 75 group. Honestly, there are some people who can beat me
easily in that group. Maybe they have not run as much, or have not stressed
their bodies like I have, I have run 115 marathons, only one was three hours
only three at the most were two hours fifty. So I think this may have had some
effect in my body but I still feel I am very healthy and will continue running
for ever.
Do
you follow the top level competition?
S.
B.: Yes! I love watching it when I can. I do not sit indoors watching it all the
time, but all the big events I will be there watching the Commonwealth Games
and everything then I will hop back and think oooh lovely!
R.
H.: About the marathon, Mo Farah ran 2:08 and people in the 80’ ran this time.
44 years ago, I ran 2:09, so it is somewhere in Britain we have lost this depth
of running quickly, where by quickly I mean below 2:20. I do not know what has
gone wrong, maybe lifestyle changes, maybe the Africans have scared off our
marathon runners but I would say it is worth training, forget the African
runners, it is worth training to get a national best, to get an England best or
a British best, and you can wear it proudly.
How
do you live with your legend?
S.B.:
Well, I just feel that I was very lucky I am really pleased that I can still
run now and you know my joints are all still there so I look back on that time
it was a wonderful ten years travelling around the world and racing. I feel
very lucky.
R.H.:
I believe I am a normal person. I am sometimes embarrassed when you say I am a
legend. I am a regular guy. I enjoy running, I feel I am very humble. They say
I am a thick neck or red neck or whatever. I am an ordinary person.
Do
you see yourself such an inspiration to runners?
S.
B.: Well, I try to motivate. I love it. Some people have to learn to love it.
And that I feel it is my job: ‘Come on give it a go you may not like the first
few sessions you will get addicted if you keep on going’.
R.
H.: I think I am a good example to people but just on ordinary guy that had
inspiration from a comic book character. Love running, never expected to be a
champion, so just get improving slowly, slowly, slowly. I think at one stage at
one marathon. I was the best in the world and I ran 2:09:28 in Edinburgh in
1970. I thought I was the best in the world so it was a nice feeling.