News Story

KMi Team take part in Annual Running Club Relay

Jane Whild, Thursday 11 May 2023

Well done to the Knowledge Media Runners, Harith Alani, Jason Carvalho, Rachel Coignac-Smith, Alba Morales-Tirado, who finished in the top half of the rankings – 29th out of 61 teams – in the annual OU Running Club Relay Race. This was the first race held since 2019 due to things being on hold for a couple of years over the pandemic.

Competitors were made up of mixed teams of four with each member running the same 1.1 mile course, around the cricket pitch, up the Ouzel Valley towards Willen, before crossing the river and returning back to the start via the path on the other side of the river. The event was open to all abilities with the emphasis being on fun; these have traditionally included Open University staff, retired runners and those from running/athletics clubs, businesses and colleges in the surrounding area.

Although the ground was damp from recent heavy rainfall, the rain held off and it was a perfect temperature for running. There were plenty of supporters cheering the teams on. It was great that so many teams and supporters turned out on the day. Many thanks to Jason for organising the KMi team.

The OU Running Club usually run at lunchtimes and often meet each other by informal arrangement at the pavilion. There are twice weekly organised sessions: a fartlek session (based on effort and recovery intervals) on Tuesdays and an interval training session around the Woughton Playing Fields on Fridays. Staff and students who are interested can find out more on the Club website.