Organisers of one of the North East’s best loved running events have issued a challenge to people around the region to follow the example of a veteran runner. The Kielder Marathon weekend will return in October, with a marathon, half marathon, 10K, gravel duathlon, and a series of junior runs. Northumberland runner Judith Sadler has decided to celebrate her 70th birthday by recruiting 69 companions to join her in one of the races. Judith met up with Kielder Marathon founder Steve Cram and event partners to encourage more aspiring athletes to get involved.
Founded in 2019 by Steve Cram and dubbed ‘Britain’s most beautiful’, the Kielder Marathon weekend now attracts over 3,500 participants for a series of races. The event is being organised by Events of the North, in partnership with Northumbrian Water, Northumberland County Council, Bright Northumbria healthcare charity, and Places Leisure.
Along with leading club athletes from around the region and further afield, many who take part over the Kielder Marathon weekend will be there to achieve a personal goal, or to raise money for good causes, such as baby loss charity 4Louis, the event’s official charity partner. Judith Sadler, from Great Whittington, will tackle the Kielder 10K to celebrate her 70th birthday and as part of a fundraising drive for Alive and Kicking, a social enterprise that supports sustainable employment in Zambia and Kenya. In turn, this enables people to build homes, educate their children and get medical help when needed.
Judith comments: “I only started running in my fifties and I’ve since experienced the positive impact that getting so active has had on my physical and mental health. I want to do what I can to encourage more people to try running for themselves and that’s what’s inspired the idea of bringing together 70 runners for events over the Kielder Marathon weekend. I’ve already recruited about 30 friends and family members, which is great, and we hope to raise loads of money for Alive and Kicking. There are races for everyone and it’s such a beautiful place to run, so please join us, or just sign up separately and we’ll see you there!”
Steve Cram adds: “Judith is a brilliant example of someone who has found running relatively late, but is making the absolute most of what the sport offers. Her enthusiasm is boundless and I have no doubt that she will complete her team of 70, and more. I echo her call to runners of all ages and abilities to join us at the Kielder Marathon weekend in October. We’ve got an option for all of you!”
Councillor Jeff Watson, cabinet member for promoting healthy lives at Northumberland County Council, said: “We’re delighted to be once again supporting this fantastic event in a beautiful part of our county. It’s a really important event for Northumberland, the surrounding rural businesses and for the many charities that will benefit through fundraising. It’s also a great way to promote our commitment to improving health and wellbeing, encouraging people to enjoy the great outdoors – whether to cheer on the athletes or take part in one of the races themselves.”
Rob Graham, head of Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity, adds: “We’re so excited to be back in Kielder this year. As an NHS charity, we know how important it is to promote healthy lifestyles and exercise to our local community. It’s with huge thanks to the runners who fundraise for Bright that we can continue to enhance patient experience within Northumbria Healthcare.”
Paul Metcalfe, contract manager at Places Leisure, comments: “We’ve committed to getting people in Northumberland active, whether that’s within a leisure centre or out in the community on one of the UK’s most scenic runs! This is why we are excited to support this iconic event and its runners, whether they are taking part for a worthy cause, wanting to beat a personal best or simply for the love of running! We’re proud of everyone taking part and are looking forward to cheering the runners across that finish line!”
For more information about the Kielder Marathon races and to book a place, visit www.kieldermarathon.com. Follow @kielder_marathon on Instagram for the latest updates from the event.
