Inspire

London Alumnus does a Gump

February 22, 2017 Seth Kennard

Rob Pope, a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College, has set himself quite a challenge- to recreate Forrest Gump’s trans-American voyage of running and discovery. Along the way he’s boiled in the sub, frozen in the snow and raised a lot of money for Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund. LUCA News caught up with him online to ask him a few questions about his adventure. So I think the first question must be one you get quite a lot; Why? I’ve always had running as a big part […]

Advice

High-tech running

February 15, 2017 Dan Richards

My first mass participation race was in 2005, the British 10k race in central London. I didn’t know much about running back then and I certainly didn’t have any tech, just a pair of Nike Free Run’s and bags of enthusiasm! My senses were on high alert with the various sounds and wafts of deep heat spray. People had bottles of homemade energy drinks and gels, and were talking about the route and expected completion times. I remember the shuffling sounds of people and the excited conversations taking place all […]

Advice

Off the beaten track

February 3, 2017 Dan Richards

I am a keen sprinter and will probably always claim to be. Roughly 3 years ago though, I was accidentally exposed to ‘trail running’ and since then I have become hooked! Trail running gives you a variety of terrain, scenery, people and awesome locations. Most importantly, the pain and monotony of training is replaced by feelings of freedom and euphoria, assuming you’re doing it right! True trail running can be found worldwide in large mountain ranges such as the Alps, but there are a few entry level routes in easy […]

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Fancy doing a proper hard race this year?

January 30, 2017 Seth Kennard

“Britain’s toughest event”, “World’s most demanding course” and perhaps my favourite, “a hardcore race to challenge the toughest of the tough”. There seem to be plenty of tough races out there, each one claiming to be tougher than the last. Some can be completed in a morning with a quick dunk in a muddy pond and climbing a few walls; others take much longer. But surely they can’t all be tougher than each other in a never ending circle of toughness? Well the circle of toughness must end somewhere, and […]

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2016 – What a year.

January 9, 2017 Seth Kennard

Another year done and thus marks the passage of time. Right now the afternoons are dark and damp, the trainers lie forgotten and muddy in the corner. Trainers ruefully awaiting the spring and beyond the spring, the warm summer filled with daylight, perfect running conditions and plenty of races. It’s time to start training hard again and if you’re thinking of starting a gym membership  you’re not alone. Google searches for ‘gym membership’ are doubled in January compared to any other time of the year – partly thanks to people trying […]

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Use this year to do good: one-off sports volunteering

January 5, 2017 Emma Butcher

With Trump soon to come to power and Brexit on it’s way, we’re all looking for ways to feel a bit happier about 2017. Luckily, we’ve got the perfect opportunity for you. Run! London are looking for volunteers to help out at the Westminster Sports Hall Athletics Competition this month. Dates are as follows and volunteers can sign up for as many/as few days as they are able to: 17th January – 9am – 2pm 18th January – 9am – 2pm 19th January – 9am – 2pm 24th January – 9am […]

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My 2016 Kilimanjaro Climb: what’s your goal for 2017?

December 21, 2016 Lucy Patchett

This year has been full of first times for me: first time visiting Africa, first time climbing the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, and hopefully the first and last time I’ll experience altitude sickness! I decided that I wanted to do something worthwhile in my summer of 2016, so when I saw posters around University offering the ‘Climb Kilimanjaro Challenge’, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for an adventure. It was organised through the Anza charity, based in Moshi, who I volunteered for in the week after the climb. Getting […]

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Nina Anderson; athlete, coach and all-round runner extraordinaire

December 17, 2016 Emma Butcher

Ever wanted to know what it’s like to run at a global level? Check out the below interview with Nina Anderson, a talented runner and coach who has had success at European and World competitions. What first drew you to running and can you tell us more about your story of getting into running? I started running at the age of 25 to lose weight and began with a few weekly jogs which before too long led to me running marathons. After a few years I stepped on to the track […]

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Top GB coach moves to King’s Athletics as new track opens

November 19, 2016 James Findon

Top GB sprints coach, Lloyd Cowan (MBE) has joined King’s Athletics as head sprints coach. Cowan’s move to King’s Athletics also marks his move back to the refurbished Southwark Park Athletics Centre, where he worked for many years before the track fell into disrepair. The track was officially launched this week by leader of Southwark Council, Peter John. On their marks for the official Southwark Park Athletics Track launch https://t.co/i3bnbbs45s pic.twitter.com/IDKHPjZkot — Southwark Council (@lb_southwark) November 16, 2016   The flood-lit, six-lane track forms part of Phase One of plans […]

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LUCA wins ‘Best Project’ at EA London awards

November 19, 2016 Emma Butcher

LUCA has won recognition by the National Governing body by winning ‘best project’ at the London regional volunteer awards. On the 16th November 2016, the London Region England Athletics Volunteer awards were held at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health. This event brought together a number of individuals and groups from around London that are dedicated to making athletics better through volunteering. The evening was kicked off by introductions from the co-chair of the London Region committee, Peter Crawshaw, who expressed his gratitude to all athletics volunteers. LUCA were awarded […]