FAST, FREE AND FRIENDLY
GREAT RUN LOCAL IS A GROWING NETWORK OF 2KM AND 5KM EVENTS, WRITES JASON HENDERSON
great run local
Great Run Local helps runners build toward longer events in the Great Run Series
THE BEAUTY of mass participation road races is that Joe Jogger can share the start line and potentially run shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest runners.
Great Run Local has taken this a step further a few times this year when elite athletes have joined beginners and fun runners at friendly, low-key 2km and 5km events across the UK.
In Manchester back in May, for example, Kenyan distance legends Wilson Kipsang and Edna Kiplagat joined participants at Salford Quays for a Great Run Local event on the eve of the Great Manchester Run and CityGames.
Then it happened again at the Great Run Local in Gibside, in north-east England, just before the Great North Run and CityGames last month when Alyson Dixon and US star Dathan Ritzenhein turned up to support.
Great Run Local was set up to provide free weekly running events over 2km and 5km throughout the UK. Organised by a network of volunteers, the emphasis is on creating a fun, friendly environment where runners or walkers can gradually improve their ability and enjoy the health benefits of the sport.