On Sunday 21st May, 20 members of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust staff took on the Romsey Relay Marathon to raise money for the Trust. The staff were split in to two teams of 10 and each ran 2.6 miles (or 4.2km) to complete the distance of a marathon as a team.
The teams undertook some training in preparation for the day and were determined to run a faster time than their colleagues. The Trust was extremely well represented on the day, as we saw runners from a wide range of teams taking part. We received times for each runner in real time throughout the day, so the upcoming runners were hoping to beat the times already ran – which made for some healthy competition.
The runners undertook lots of preparation leading up to the day. Steph trained close to home at the weekend, but as a typical wildlife enthusiast was constantly distracted by the scenery around her as well as attempting to identify the birds she could hear nearby. Tracey committed to her training for the 6 months leading up to the challenge, even through the cold and rain in the winter, and took part in a 10km race to help her prepare.
The runners made it around the course, in great time and successfully completed the race – both finishing in the top 100 (out of 168 teams taking part). The Wheezing Weasels finished in 3 hours 46 and the Nimble Newts completed the course in 3 hours 35 minutes.
We had a great day at the event, both runners and supporters. We were lucky with a beautifully sunny day – although it was warm for the runners as they were going round the track. This certainly added to the difficulty of the run, and a lack of shade on the track made completing the 2.6 miles a little bit harder. It was great to see so many members of staff from the Trust come together to raise money and awareness for the work that we do every day. The teams were very well supported leading up to and on the day by friends, family, and other members of staff through messages of encouragement, donations and a cheer squad on the day. Positioned next to the start/finish line, Trust supporters were able to watch each runner set off and complete their legs, as well as the all important baton handover between each runner, which gave the runners the encouragement to keep going and sprint to the finish for their medal. Our mascot Bramble the Badger even made an appearance and cheered on the teams from the side lines!
Spirits were high at the end of the day, following a huge achievement of every runner completing their leg of the race. The teams enjoyed a well-deserved drink at the pub afterwards, before returning to their day jobs the following day. Together, the teams have raised over £700 for the Trust, which will help us to continue to protect vulnerable wildlife and their precious habitats across Hampshire, the Island and our local seas.
