Saintfield Striders in Covid-19 summer challenge

Saintfield Striders in Covid-19 summer challenge

1 July 2020

FOR Saintfiield Striders 2020 was a fresh new year, the start of a new decade with many of the members setting new goals and making plans and arrangements to participate in running events throughout the year.

Nobody could have predicted the Covid-19 pandemic that would bring our lives to an abrupt halt in March, impacting on everyone in every way possible.

Covid-19 changed everything for everybody and for those of us who love to run we suddenly found ourselves re-thinking our year ahead and wondering what we would do next.

Weekly club training and runs such as our beloved parkruns were cancelled, along with all running events across the world on a daily basis. These were unprecedented times for us all.

The days were filled with news of the pandemic and as the world locked down country by country we were faced with restrictions in our lives that would impact on work and family life in ways that we never believed could happen.

The one positive we had was that we could still take part in our daily exercise albeit alone, but we could still run and reap the benefits to our wellbeing in these difficult times. 

Gillian Johnston, club chairperson and head coach, and Michele Bell, vice-chairperson, spent many hours on the phone discussing what positive steps we could take in the current climate that would keep people active and connected. 

We finally came up with Saintfield Striders Covid-19 50k Challenge.

The challenge asks participants to walk, jog or run a total distance of 50k any time between May and August. Successful completion of the challenge will earn a bespoke medal.

All profits from the challenge are being used to support our NHS by purchasing a number of laundry or uniform bags which we fill with toiletries and treats and are deliver directly to frontline staff working in local hospitals. 

We have been overwhelmed by the interest in our challenge and have received so much positive feedback from participants including families in lockdown, carers and a number of people with disabilities who have taken on the challenge.

We have over 300 people now entered with participants as far away as USA and Australia completing the 50k challenge.

Stuart says he took part in the 50km challenge for the NHS as a way of thanking the doctors and nurses who look after his four year-old daughter, Leah, who has cystic fibrosis.

“As a family, myself, my wife Emma, our son Jake (8) and Leah have been in Isolation since March 19,” he said.

“My daily exercise has only been done on football pitches across the road from my house early morning. Leah and Jake have only been out in the garden.

“This challenge helped me keep focus while doing my laps of the pitches each morning that can get pretty boring. Thanks for the interest and for organising the challenge.”