Putting the fun back into run

Brockley had its first organised fun run yesterday, and what a great morning it was.

The weather, predicted to rain, ended up being mild and bright. Perfect conditions for the 300 or so runners, pram-pushers, kids and dog-walkers to race, amble or jog around the park.

But though the run was very accommodating for beginners, with a pre-race warm up and lots of friendly faces, the course was not so easy.

A figure of eight followed by a loop, up and down repeatedly over the spine of the park, its name – Hilly Fields – proved exhaustingly appropriate.

For those that regularly race, this meant it was not a course to set a personal best.

And given the hills, just getting round was something of an achievement for those that run less regularly.

This was particularly the case for all the children taking part, and their presence gave the event a proper community feel, as well as showing us how fast some of our local kids can run!

This is something I experienced first hand, as I was overtaken by someone half my age after the first kilometre, after which I spent the rest of the race trying to catch him, but to no avail.

I don't know if the results will be published, but I hope so and it would match the level of professionalism around the race – an unusual surprise given the small scale of the event. And well done to those that organised it – Erin at the Broca with the help of the BXAG group.

Those taking part also received a 'I love Brockley' T-shirt, so expect to see these in our streets in the future. As well as, hopefully, another equally successful event next year.