Running in the Olympic Park

The pink wave on its way! When a fellow Sarah's Runner put a link on the group's Facebook page about the forthcoming National Lottery Anniversary Run in the Olympic Park in Stratford, which would finish its 5 mile course (the last 300 metres) in the Olympic Stadium, I signed up immediately! Too good a chance to miss, and it was a way of making amends to myself for not having been to any of the Olympic or Paralympic events there.  A whole bunch of us travelled up to London yesterday, and I started off the run with friend Gareth, who is wearing his SRs t-shirt in the picture. I'm the half-pint next to him! We were in the pink wave, which was the last to go, part of a mass of 12,500 runners taking part. It was wonderful to take part, and especially to be among a great stream  of runners winding its way alongside the River Lea, and, for me personally, probably the first time I've ever run in a stadium, let alone such an illustrious one! Big shout out to all my fellow runners, it was fab seeing you all there!

The celebrity runners included Paula Radcliffe and Victoria Pendleton, and Sir Chris Hoy opened the proceedings, but the most memorable thing for me was shaking the hands of the Paralympics medal-winners who sat waiting in their wheelchairs at the finish line to congratulate the runners coming in. That was something special.