Spring is in the air and the weather has really been great for running, jogging, or walking. New buds are blooming and those of us who made new year resolutions are starting to see the results of keeping up our new fitness regimes. Last month we mentioned the 26th Paphos Marathon races were taking place and which several of West Coast Runners members were taking part in. Here are a few of their thoughts/experiences of the day. We hope you enjoy reading them and will find some inspiration to start or continue with your running journey.
Marathon
Claire Rinkes and Vivienne Couldrey took part in the Marathon and that was only 4 months after both completed the 40th Athens Marathon. It was an early start, but the atmosphere was great with lots of friendly faces all lining up for the starting countdown. The route was, as we expected, very picturesque and although it was a tough course we enjoyed every minute. The support was excellent as always and it was especially great to see our fellow West Coast Runners family & friends manning the water stations & marshalling along the way. The last kilometer running towards the finish line at the harbor was well supported and it was great to see so many people cheering us to the finish line. It was also a lovely surprise, and well deserved, that Viv crossed the line second in her age group and was presented with a lovely trophy as you can see in this photo. Well done Viv.
Half Marathon
Ruth Poole, Linda Hesketh, Neil Bithell, Diana Henry-Ward and Diane’s son Paul (who flew in from the UK the night before) took part in the Half Marathon, all did amazing, and Ruth says:- Fantastic day with a brilliant atmosphere running the half marathon in our hometown of Paphos. It was a lovely flat route and we enjoyed some of the beautiful coastal paths along the way. It was great seeing so many different Running Clubs enjoying themselves and what a good advertisement for West Coast Runners with so many members taking part in all the different races on the day. Another lovely surprise, Diana also won a trophy as second in her age group. Well done Diana.
10km
Louise Robinson, Kathy Kaiser, Alan Lovejoy, Julia Zhu and Christoforos Savva took part in the 10 km race, the first 10km for Kathy and Christoforos. All did brilliantly and Louise says:- As a relatively new runner, as most of us were, 10km seemed like the best starting point for us to enter. In January we started our “short” training plan with great support from West Coast Runners with special mention to Alan Lovejoy for his help in building up our speed and distance running. We supported each other round the course and together we achieved something that a just a few weeks before I never thought would happen. The atmosphere and organization on the day was great and it has really inspired us to reach for another challenge next time round.
It certainly sounds like all those involved on the day had a great experience, take a look on our Facebook page where you can see more photos of our successful runners, the smiles say it all.
Hope that this has inspired you, if you would like to join us at any of our weekly runs, our schedule is updated monthly and can be found on our Facebook page or contact Di on 97761015 or Gerry on 99926291 for more information. We also have an events schedule showing externally organised races that many members take part in. We look forward to hearing from you.
West Coast Walkers
Don’t forget we also have our walking group that meets every Monday morning. The walking group is increasingly popular and is open to anyone who enjoys walking, meeting like-minded individuals, experiencing walking along the coast and exploring in and around the Paphos area. We will be taking our walkers along the Blue Lagoon walk in April and we are also planning a guided walk in the Avakas Gorge. We welcome all walkers whatever your ability, young and the not so young! There is something for everyone to enjoy. Please see the West Coast Walkers Facebook page for meeting points and start time.
