Laurence writes:
8 July 2019:
How lucky I was to run 10 km with my daughter Joscelyn in my home town.
I’m pleased to say we had a lovely run yesterday – and we crossed the line together.
We started at the Gateshead international stadium, and ran downhill to the Tyne river past the Baltic cultural building. Then alongside the Tyne bridge on to the Swing bridge under many other bridges to Dunstun to get half way.
Then we came back running alongside the river Tyne. At the end we went up a few hills and into the stadium. Joscelyn is 28 years old and I’m a little older. It was really good to run together.
We finished at positions 2422 and 2423 – out of more than 5,000 people in total. According to the Great North Run website, we took one hour and 3 minutes to run the 10k.
Next we will run the Great North Run half marathon in September 2019. Thank you to everyone who supported us by donating to our charity State of Mind Sport.
1 July 2019:
My daughter Joscelyn and I are running 10k on Sunday 7 July 2019 to raise funds for VGC’s charity State of Mind Sport.
Members of our board of directors have offered to sponsor us, and VGC’s chairman, Sean Fitzpatrick, has confirmed that the company will double the figure we raise.
The Simplyhealth Great North 10k run finishes at the Gateshead International Stadium. That is where Brendan Foster broke the men’s 3000m world record in 1974.
The plan was to use this run as a good training milestone for the Simplyhealth Great North half marathon. As you know time creeps up on you, and it hasn’t quite worked out. Joscelyn is doing her training with her two dogs, Louie, a wire haired dachshund, and Buddy, a smooth haired dachshund.
Our next challenge
We will also run the Simplyhealth Great North Run half marathon on 8 September 2019 in aid of State of Mind Sport. The Great North Run – which Brendan Foster founded in 1981 – is the largest half marathon in the world. We will run 13.1 miles between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. Operations manager Tommy Hunter manages VGC’s office in Newcastle. He has declined our invitation to run with us, but he says he will wave us off!
