Durham County Council and Events of the North hosted the first ever Run Festival to be held over 3 days, Thursday July 25th-Saturday July 27th in and around one of the world’s most historic cities.
Building on the huge success of the Prince Bishops 5k and 10k races held over the previous 3 years, the Run Festival centred around 4 Primary Features, supported by a host of exciting activities and events aimed at all ages and abilities.
There were plenty of celebs present, including Paula Radcliffe and Steve Cram, and our Under 13 regulars Libby Hammond and Ashton Harrison were in the thick of it!
Day 1
On a very hot and humid night Libby took part in the Durham 5k. Before the race she met up with our own Lewis and Gemma Moses, and then came across Paula Radcliffe who was also running the 5k.
Libby set off well and paced the race like a pro in the tough conditions. She over took Paula Radcliffe at about the 3k mark and finished outside the cathedral in a time of 22:45, finishing 51st out of the 750 taking part, and the 10th female overall…..and yes, she beat Paula!
Day 2
Libby was joined by Ashton for the “Run Like A Legend” mile – an accurately measured course along the banks of the River Wear, starting and finishing at the Boat House. It was another hot and humid night for our dynamic duo to contend with but they loved every minute of it!
Of the 198 taking part, Ashton crossed the line in 60th place with an excellent time of 6:36.7, with Libby following close behind in 73rd place in 6:41.1.
If that wasn’t enough they both finished off the weekend with a 5k fun run alongside Ben Smith (the “401 marathons in 401 days” legend!) Whatever they’re feeding these two on…..I want some! Well done to both, a fantastic effort!