Inspire Archives – Page 2 of 5

LUCA Takeover I Move London Relay in world record attempt

June 21, 2018 James Findon

LUCA has partnered with the I Move London Relay to help break a world record by running 4000 miles across London to tackle homelessness and gang culture. Organisers behind the I Move London Relay are hoping running fans and exercise shirkers alike will lace up their trainers in a bid to bring the capital together. SIGN UP HERE. It is hoped the race will break the world record for the longest continuous running relay and people from all 120 postcodes and 32 boroughs in London are wanted to take part. Each […]

The London Marathon – My Beautiful Race

May 1, 2018 Rahil Sachak-Patwa

I step through the archway into the Championship starting area. Whereas the mass start is abuzz with excitement, here the runners are reserved, concealing their enthusiasm for the sport that consumes their lives. Most are just sitting in the large tent, conserving their energy like predators about to go out on a hunt. They don’t want to burn through valuable fuel resources walking about in the sun; they know what’s ahead of them and that they’ll need every ounce of energy they can muster when it comes to the crunch. […]

Two marathons in two weather extremes in one week

April 24, 2018 James Findon

By Richard Sun, PhD student, QMUL. I love running and sometimes I have crazy idea, such as to do back-to-back marathons, and the two marathons are two of the bests in the world, Boston and London. Throwback to April of last year, I did my first sub-3 hours marathon in Manchester and qualified for Boston and London (Good for Age). Though there is only a 6-day gap between the two marathons, I signed up both because I couldn’t wait. The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon which begun […]

Students shine in hottest London Marathon on record

April 23, 2018 James Findon

On a sweltering day in London, fifteen students and alumni from LUCA clubs lined up for the 38th London Marathon. One of these runners was Rob Pope, a former student of the Royal Veterinary College. Pope ran this year’s London Marathon dressed as Tom Hanks’ Oscar-winning character, Forest Gump, in 2 hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds. His achievement earned him a Guinness World Record for the fastest male marathon runner in a film character costume. This wasn’t the first time Pope has run dressed as Gump, as we’ve previously reported here. There was also […]

UCL organises 50k bleep test in support of BEAT

March 7, 2018 Daniel Woodburn

Are you experiencing Hyde Park relay withdrawal symptoms after the “beast from the east” cruelly led to the cancellation (or rather hopeful postponement) of the 2018 edition last Saturday? Then you’re in luck: UCL is organising a 50k bleep test in the very same location this Saturday, March 10th. Consisting of 10 five-kilometre laps, this event might not appear to be for the faint of heart at first sight. However, the objective is not to run 50 kilometres so much as to last as long as you can. Each […]

A Tribute to Altitude Training

September 28, 2017 Daniel Woodburn

Altitude tents; elevation training masks; training programmes with names like ‘Airfit’; shots of concentrated beetroot juice taken in conjunction with training and hours before a race… These days if one wishes to get a legal edge when competing, there are many options to choose from. How effective are they? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
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IAAF World Athletics 2017 – ‘Runner’ for a week

August 22, 2017 Emma Butcher

Written by Emma Simpson-Dore, UCL graduate, former LUCA Official’s Secretary and UCL Athletics Captain.
In September last year, I discovered that the IAAF World Athletics were taking place in London in 2017. After hearing great things about the volunteering experience at the 2012 Olympics, I was keen to apply to be a ‘Runner’ (the name given to all the volunteers).
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Colin McCourt – the comeback kid

May 19, 2017 Emma Butcher

Lucky LUCA got the chance to catch up with Colin McCourt recently, a former St Mary’s student with bundles of running talent and an interesting challenge on his hands this year. 1. For any readers who haven’t heard, can you explain what led to you being challenged to a bet to run a sub-16 minute 5km time by the end of the year (or receive 17 tattoos on your body!)? Well, it’s a bit of a mad story to be honest. I found a picture on my phone, an old […]

Personal Best

May 16, 2017 Dan Richards

Not only did you do it, you did it better than ever before! You jumped further, you ran faster, or you threw further than EVER before! A personal best, a lifetime best, a personal record, however you phrase it those two words make it all worthwhile. Even if this was the first time, it’s official now! You were nervous during the warm up when they told you to “do your best”, but you did exactly that! Maybe that start was perfect, your form was better or you nailed the take-off […]

Jamaica finds 12-year old sprinting superstar set to be ‘next Usain Bolt’

April 4, 2017 James Findon

12-year old Brianna Lyston has been compared to legendary sprinter Usain Bolt by winning the 100m and 200m in the 2017 Boys and Girls Championships. Lyston also set a new under-13s record in the 200m making her the first child in her age group to run a sub-24 time. Her 200m semi-final time of 23.46 was ruled wind-illegal (+2.2mps) but her sensational form continued in the final where she set a record of 23.72s. Over 100m, she cruised to victory and clocked 11.86 seconds. Lyston is already ahead of the developmental curve […]