STOCKTON played host to 2,200 primary pupils at Preston Park on Tuesday 16 July 2019 for a mass fun run organised by GO Run For Fun.
24 primary schools around Stockton-on-Tees took part in the event, with pupils aged between 5 and 11 running the 2-kilometre route.
GO Run For Fun celebrated its 315,000th runner during the event, a huge milestone since the initiative’s launch.
Olympic Race Walker, 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and world record holder, Tom Bosworth, was invited as a special guest to the event, delivering a warm up to the runners and supporting the children in their run. Tom also hosted a Q&A session to give the children an opportunity to find out more about his journey so far.
Tom commented: “These are fantastic opportunities for kids to learn that sport can be more than just physical, it can be a great fun social time with their peers.
“Staying active can be really easy if you find something you enjoy doing either on your own or with friends. It doesn’t need to be about who wins, just that you’re having fun in whatever it is you choose.
“I tried gymnastics, athletics, and always loved playing football but was never very good at anything. I just turned up every week, had a coach who encouraged me and enjoyed sport with my friends.
“I joined Tonbridge AC aged 11 and tried race walking for the first time at 12. I don’t think I ever realised my ability until my late teens.
When asked about how athletics had impacted his life, Tom said: “Athletics gave me an opportunity to study and graduate with a degree, it taught me to stand on my own two feet and own my future, train harder when I didn’t succeed and to never stop as you don’t know when the next breakthrough is coming.”
GO Run For Fun is an initiative supported by INEOS, a multinational company head-quartered in London, with health and fitness at the heart of its ethos.
INEOS Chairman, Jim Ratcliffe, is deeply passionate about running. He said: “It has never been more important to support young people in leading healthier, more active lives.
“GO Run for Fun and The Daily Mile have been making a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of children in the UK and beyond for the last five years. We are very proud to support these two initiatives and everyone who runs in them.”
To find out more about GO Run For Fun, visit www.thedailymileevents.com or stay up to date on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.