SHWI on the run...

Team SHWI! L-R Kirsty, Vicky, Blanche and Anna

Usually on a Sunday morning I enjoy a lie-in before having a (typically) lazy day doing, er, not much. However this particular Sunday morning I was up bright and early at 7am to join my fellow SHWI-ers Kirsty Bowen, Vicky Porteous and Blanche Spataro, AKA Team SHWIrunners, in Graves Park to take part in Weston Park Hospital’s Cancer Charity’s annual 3k fun run. We had entered the event with most of us having no previous running experience and through training for this event we have improved our fitness levels and managed to raise currently over £300 for the charity with donations still flooding in (THANK YOU to those of you who have given so generously!). 

We arrived in Graves Park bright and early on what was to prove the hottest day of the summer so far ready to run with several hundred others who were all united in their determination to support a wonderful organisation doing so much to combat cancer. Although it was far too hot to consider costumes, in a nod to our WI membership we decided to run in pinnies (which explains the accompanying picture!).

After a quick belly dancing session as a warm up (no, really) and a bit of fraternisation with some Star Wars Storm Troopers (again, really) we headed to the starting line ready to complete two laps of the park. On starters order we ran like the wind (ahem) around the sun-drenched (read ‘punishingly hot’) course and were ably supported by family, friends and fellow SHWI members who spurred us all on the complete the course in times ranging from 15.51 minutes to 18.51 minutes and receive finishing positions of 74th-154th places out of 388 participants – not bad at all! After completing the race we stayed to cheer on fellow SHWI and Sheffield Running Club member Grace Tebbutt to annihilate the uber-tough 10k race. Grace achieved a fabulously quick time of just over 48 minutes and was the 4th woman to finish the race! Wow!

Taking part in the event was another example of how Seven Hills Women’s Institute has inspired me and others to challenge ourselves and try new experiences – I never would have thought I’d spend a beautiful summer’s day running around a park rather than lying prone sunbathing in it! I am extremely proud of us all for having raised funds for such an amazing institution that has touched so many lives in Sheffield. This experience has inspired us on to continue running – who knows, the next time I blog about a race it may be a marathon…

Anna Pilson

SHWI Committee Member (and runner!)