On Sunday 1st October GoodGym Cardiff and runners from other GoodGym areas including Bristol and Bath took part in the 2017 Cardiff Half Marathon. For some runners it was their first ever half marathon and for others it was an opportunity to set a new PB.

At 9am GoodGym runners gathered outside Yr Hen Lyfrgell. Ben Jozefiak was already there waiting – who knows how long… It was a pleasure to see him again in Cardiff after he left to go to Scotland about 2.5 month ago.

At 9.25am we started our warm up. We jogged on the spot, did lunges, butt kicks, high knees and an assortment of other running drills so our bodies were ready to run. We then made our way to our allocated starting pens.

9.55am; Everyone was in their pens. Adrenaline was now pumping through veins and their hearts were far from resting pace.

10am; The gun sounded. 20,000 runners were now embarking on the 13.1 mile journey. The route took runners down Penarth road, across the Barrage, passed Cardiff Prison, - Wahey!!! Just before the 8 mile marker was the GoodGym cheer point! Thank you all for coming out to support, we needed you – continuing up Richmond road, down Albany road, around Roath Park, up hell hill and back to City Hall where the finish line lie in waiting. After GoodGym runners finished they all regrouped 300m from the finish line to cheer on the next lot of runners through (That was pretty cool as we then had two cheer points along the route!). Patrick’s words of encouragement drew laughs “come on ladies, less chatting more running”, “speed up you are about to get overtaken by a teacup” and “Come on Gary, stop playing on twitter you have a race to finish.” Our words of encouragement definitely got runners pushing themselves in the final stretch!

Special thanks to our supporters who gave us much needed words of encouragement along the route (Samina, Andie, Lexi, Ellen, Lowri and Adam!)

What an awesome day! Well done to everyone who took part :) Get signed up for next year!

A fabulous 15 this evening at Goodgym Bath for a 5k run to the community allotments at the foot of The Two Tunnels on Lyncombe road.

Whoop!! and Welcome to Leanne from Goodgym York

joining us fresh from racing the train at the weekend before heading for a well deserved break in Devon

Well Done to everyone who raced at the weekend Two Tunnels series from 10k to 50k some great achievements... Feel proud!!

Time to hit the road and head towards a wee hill and the job at hand tonight

TWO TASKS to cut back the over hanging hedge and hazel from the young fruit trees and lay some chicken wire over a slippery wooden bridge accessing the allotments along a shared pathway.

The route out involved a rather enjoyable leg burning hill or two, although the first was considered a warm up for the second one and i really do believe they enjoyed every moment.

The Task itself

LOPPERS and SECATEURS pairing up to form the hedge trimmers with Ed on saw duty on a fallen tree and had a later use as a cuttings battling ram. Emma,Tim and Sam getting to grips with that slippery bridge with some chicken wire and a staple gun.

40 MINUTES LATER

Job done!! one well pruned hedge stretching along a narrow footpath with a mad dash at the end to create a wildlife haven with the cuttings and one very safe bridge to cross with our very own

QUEEN MARY

to officially cut the twig and open the bridge to the public. This was suitably topped off with some delicious raspberry tasting before the short run back to base.

Double thanks to Alison for back marking and for tonights pun.