Barnsley 10k - racing is back on the streets of town, where running began!

The Barnsley 10k, the return of running to the town centre. It’s been a long time coming, feels like even longer in the planning. In July 2023, I personally changed jobs to move from Barnsley FC Community Trust into Barnsley Council; I’d long joked about wanting to establish a road race within the town centre. With Barnsley once being epicentre of road running in the UK, with the development of the Barnsley 6 and Barnsley Marathon throughout the year of 1974. The Barnsley Marathon being the first event in the UK to allow women to take part; a trailblazer of the time. The events thrived, more entries than the early London Marathons. Booming and adapting throughout the years, eventually the Barnsley 10k was born when metric races came to fruition; adopting many various routes throughout its lifespan, being in the town centre, eventually moving to Royston and then its final resting place of Grimethorpe Park Springs bypass.
My own entry into Barnsley’s running scene came with the Royston rendition of the Barnsley 10k, throughout November 2013. I’d done a couple of marathons before donning the event. I’d only just started making an appearance at parkruns locally. It was a baptism of fire into the local running network, seeing the wealth of clubs, runners, first timers, everyone involved. But it was never really the Barnsley 10k, you crossed into the Wakefield border almost straight away. Although it was a great event organised by none other than Barnsley AC. I’d revisit the Barnsley 10k frequently through the years until its demise.
The 29th of November 2015, my last day off of running. The day of the Barnsley 10k in 2015, I was meant to be on that start line that day but sickness, cough, cold, feverish. I stayed in bed and had a day off of running, swearing the next day that I’d be back out lacing up my trainers and doing it all over again. That I did. And I’ve run everyday since the 30th of November 2015. The Barnsley 10k, a race in my hometown, doing it justice, means a lot to me. And that young, naive kid who first started lacing up his trainers in 2012. If you’d had told him, that he’d be where I am now. I’d have done more than laugh at you.
So when I took the job in the Sport & Physical Activity team in Barnsley Council, it was the first thing on my mind. Along with plenty other things, to make an impact on my hometown, conquer my hometown. My own community.
Never did I envisage just how much would go into organising the Barnsley 10k, how much background work and all of the stuff you don’t see. The iceberg analogy rings true. Did it pay off? Of course it did. The support, the atmosphere, the people, they made it. Barnsley turned out in force, the town was packed with what we have tallied at 4,500 people. With 1381 entries and a showing of just short of 1200 on the day of the event. The streets were lined and supporters were out in force, truly bringing a bit of that Barnsley grit, the spirit of our town out for the return of the Barnsley 10k. This is my social circle, the lads and lasses I train with, slog the hard miles with, and stop to have a coffee with. The roads I run, the motivation and passion I have for running. I just hope it trickled down into someone else through that day. Would I do it all again? Just bring it on for 2025!
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#tracktuesday
#parkruntalk
#parkrunstatistics
#parkrunuk
#parkruntourism
#running
#roadracing
#roadrunning
#runeveryday
#fitness
#marathonrunner
#trainingtalk
#yorkshire
#tracktuesday
#speedsquad
#personalbest
#halfmarathon
#runningshoes
#carbonshoes
#carbon
#nikevaporfly
#motivationalvideo
#motivational
#inspirationalquotes
#inspirational
#speech
#reflection
#realistic
#streakrunner
#tracksmith
#recovery
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