Hundreds of people took part in the Hackney Half Marathon which went virtual this year due to the lockdown. The solo running challenge was organised to benefit Homerton Hope, Hackney’s Homerton Hospital NHS trust.
The event is part of the Hackney Moves Festival, the UK’s largest outdoor fitness festival where runners raise money for charities but it was postponed by sponsors Virgin Sport in March because of the pandemic.
The new virtual event, Hackney Moves for Heroes, involves a solo half marathon and 5K race. Participants were encouraged to donate to Homerton Hope and other local charities in the registration process.
Runners were permitted to complete the distance in any location but were urged to prioritise safety by following social distancing measures. They also had to complete the distance by 5 June, use a tracking app and upload their results to the Virgin Sport Race Roster to prove they had gone the whole way.
Participants gained access to a printable bib, a digital badge, goody bag and prizes for the winners of the seven age categories. Hackney local, DJG, also provided a 3-hour mix of soulful house on SoundCloud for runners to stream or download to keep them going.
17,000 people ran in the Hackney Half Marathon last year but only 742 people finished the virtual race. Overall, 2,800 people took part in Hackney Moves for Heroes.
Paul Martelletti a marathoner from Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets running club recorded the fastest time of 1:08:55 for the virtual half.
Hackney Moves hosted a discussion on IG Live with professional pacers who offered tips on how to stay motivated. One of the interviewees, Joel Wiles, a running and fitness coach, has been organising online fitness sessions with Hackney and Westminster GoodGym for nearly 30 people each week.
Wiles described his group as an “uplifting spirit” and said the training sessions have helped to keep communities connected. He said: “It’s great to see that face that you miss and don’t see every Tuesday or Wednesday evening”.
Wiles said: “Many people ran the Hackney Half for the first time and we’ve done all the training leading up to it and then, they are coming back and celebrating that after, it’s huge!”
Nic Farr, 25, front of house supervisor at The Yard Theatre and a freelance set designer from Hackney Wick told Eastlondonlines: “I was initially planning on running the Hackney Half this year.”
Instead, they ran the virtual race along the River Lea in the Hackney Marshes and around Victoria Park. They donated their entry fee to UKBLM and UK Black Pride.
They said: “I’ve been furloughed from work so have been using lockdown as a chance to get fitter and thought that entering the virtual run would be a great challenge and something to keep me motivated.”
They added: “It was definitely more challenging to run alone than in a race environment with a large number of runners and supporters. My flatmates cheered me on though!”
Archie Challen, 25, is an amateur runner who completed the Hackney Half last Sunday. Challen, who lives in Dalston works for an advertising agency in Old Street but went to Sussex to stay with family before the lockdown.
Challen told ELL: “I moved to Hackney last December and wanted to do the local race”. He added: “I was a bit gutted when it was cancelled but they did a great job of still making it happen even though there were restrictions.”
He ran the virtual half marathon along a hilly route in Graffham, West Sussex. He told ELL: “I wish I did it in Hackney, but it was still really good fun and Hackney Moves supplied an awesome playlist.”
Challen recently started a blog to make running more enjoyable and change people’s perceptions, he said: “It’s not just about middle-aged men running in short shorts”.
The change from the regular half marathon to Hackney Moves for Heroes inspired Challen to donate to Homerton Hope. He has also managed to encourage a few friends to join him next year.
The next, hopefully normal Hackney Half Marathon is now planned to take place on Sunday 16 May next year.
