St Mary’s Alumnus Launch Major Running Event in Richmond

Richmond Running Festival, a brand new running event in Richmond upon Thames has been launched this summer by former students at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. St Mary’s Alumni Tom Bedford and Jade Parker have organised this new race, rivalling some of the best running events in the country with more than 4,000 runners and local Olympians set to race on the day. Tom, who graduated in Sport Science was also part of St Mary’s Endurance, Performance and Coaching Centre (EPACC) and has been involved with the Virgin London Marathon for more than 15 years. He, along with Drama graduate Jade, has developed the Richmond Running Festival as a way to get local people of all abilities involved in running and exhibit local businesses at the festival. The event will offer a half marathon, 10km and mini-mile course for children, aiming to encourage members of the public to continue running, even after the event. Ten per cent of the entry fee goes directly to Richmond Running Festival’s official charities, the Mo Farah Foundation and Shooting Star Chase, whilst the kids’ mile races are free of charge for local children of all ages with a special sponsor helping to find the next Mo Farah. Jade Parker commented, “It was St Mary’s that brought us to the borough and, like many students, we didn't want to leave it. We believe that Richmond upon Thames is the most beautiful part of London and deserves a stunning race that showcases all of its assets. “With Tom’s experience of running from an athlete’s perspective and myself as a casual runner, we understand running from all perspectives and are using this to hopefully achieve our overall aim to keep people in the sport and encourage a healthier lifestyle while showing people that running can be fun." Tom Bedford commented, “The response from the public so far has been fantastic and we’ve encountered nothing but support from local businesses, runners, and those who simply want to volunteer and be part of the event. We have not forgotten our roots and St Mary’s will have a big role to play in the event. The St Mary’s Clinic are the official massage and physio provider for runners after the event and discussions are well on the way with Director of Sport Andrew Reid-Smith about how the University College can support this event further.” On the day there will be a post-race festival with live local bands, DJ’s, a beer garden and fun children’s activities to cater for the whole family. Students from St Mary's Centre for Short Courses and Continuing Professional Development will also be offering free sports massages to participants. For more information about the event and to sign up to one of the races please visit the website.