As always in December I produced the ‘Runner’s Runner of the Year’ videos for my running club awards evening. Annoyingly this year I was unable to attend the actual awards evening as Dan’s work do fell on the same night and we were unable to get anybody else to look after Oscar for the evening. It was a shame as I love watching the expressions on the faces of runners at the evening as they realise that they have been nominated and they become engrossed in reading the lovely comments that have been sent in about their running over the year.

Due to time constraints I’m not even on the club committee anymore, but I was still asked to make the videos this year.  It’s a job I really enjoy though, as it’s so lovely reading all of the amazing achievements that each of the runners at our club have had over the course of the year.

Our club awards evening is held at the start of December, and in the weeks leading up to the awards evening members are asked to nominate both a male and female runner who they feel have been inspiring, encouraging, supportive, hard working, have improved a great deal or have just been a fantastic runner across the year!  It’s an opportunity for an award to go to somebody who isn’t necessarily the fastest runner at the club and is an award viewed very highly by all club members.

Once nominations are closed, I usually have about a week to put together the videos, choosing one or two reasons given for each person nominated to display on the video alongside images of them in action throughout the year.  The videos take me probably about 20 or so hours to create in total – with the picture-finding being the most time consuming part!

Male video for 2018:

(Winner: Craig Clements)

Female video for 2018:

(Winner: Sarah Rowse)

Once again I received a few nominations this year.

Super sappy, but I say it every year – whenever I watch the videos back and look at all the fun times and achievements everybody I run with has had it instantly picks me up and makes me want to get back outside running with my friends again.  So, so glad that I decided to join that beginner running group way back in 2011.