“Growing up, I was always active. I danced at my local dance school for almost 10 years, where I really thrived. I also competed in athletics and cross country at school, which I excelled at. However, since leaving school, running has taken a bit of a backseat, but living on a farm means I’ve always had plenty of space to head out for a training run when time allows.
In August last year I decided to go along to my local Monday Run Club with the idea that a regular running schedule would help me to maintain my fitness better, keep me accountable, and socially connected. Not long after I added the weekly parkruns in Te Anau to my routine.
A huge source of inspiration for me has been my cousin Rachel, who lives over in the UK. She’s seriously into running and is about to do her second full marathon in Edinburgh later this year. Keeping up with Rachel on Strava is equal parts inspiring and slightly terrifying – she’s clocking up some pretty cool achievements and I’m just trying to keep up with her! It’s been amazing to connect over running despite being so far apart. The great thing about doing this sport is realising just how global the running community is – it really is something you can do almost anywhere.
Monday Run Club has slowly but surely become the highlight of my week and a great way to connect socially within the community. In fact it’s the perfect mix of social catch-up and exercise all in one. There’s something so motivating about turning up on a Monday evening, seeing familiar faces, and knowing that you’re all there for a common goal. Running with a group just gives you that extra push you don’t always find on your own.
Getting back into running has turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve made. When joining Run Club last year, the biggest challenge for me was building up my endurance to run for longer distances. I’m now regularly running 5-10km every Monday. This has given me a good base to take part in running events. Recently I completed the Mavora Explorer 12km Dale Dash and that sense of achievement keeps me striving for more. I’ve now got my eyes set on a couple more events later this year. The Hydro Half Marathon is practically in my backyard – it starts opposite my house on Kepler Farm, so there’s no excuse not to run it one day. Then there’s the iconic Luxmore Grunt, part of the Kepler Challenge, which looks tough but rewarding… and who doesn’t want some type-2 fun?
I’m 19 now, and running has already opened doors to experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise – like the trip I recently did with some of the Run Club along the Kepler Track. It was amazing to fly over my house in a helicopter on our way up to Luxmore Hut, then run/walk 39km along the mountain ridgeline and through native forests, passing the Iris Burn and Moturau Huts along the way before reaching our final destination at Rainbow Reach. Moments like that make you stop and think, this is pretty cool!
Running has given me a new focus – it keeps me fit, socially connected and always working towards something new. I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads me next!”
Ellen @_ellenleslie
(Fiordland)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
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