|
Giant Rabbit
|
GIANT RABBIT – 2016 WOMEN’S WINNER: JESSICA HEGARTY
Jessica Hegarty is 21 and a final year physio student from Bridgend. She runs for Cornelly Striders.
Besides your win at the MMTRF Giant Rabbit, what has been your greatest running achievement to date?
It would be running for Wales in the XC in Edinburgh and coming first in my age group in the world half marathon championships in Cardiff.
Why do you enjoy trail running?
It’s a lot like XC which I also love. I love the hills and mud.
What distance(s) do you prefer to run?
5k +
What does a typical training week look for you?
I’m currently coming back to running from a stress fracture in my hip, so I’m keeping my distances that a run only up to 5k at the moment, also with lots of strengthening sessions in the gym.
What are your favourite training sessions?
I really enjoy training up the hills in the sand dunes.
Why do you run? And what got you started?
I started running in primary school XC competitions and I’ve kept it going since then.
Where is your favourite place you have run?
My favourite place to run is around the coasts, I feel very lucky to have such nice local places to run.
If you could enter any race in the world, what one and why?
The London marathon because it’s a race I’ve always wanted to do and it’s very hard to get into.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on a run?
I slipped and fell in a puddle on the home straight of a race when I was about 10. I’ll never forget that!
Have you ever been beaten by a fancy dress runner?
On the first half marathon I did in Cardiff, a man dressed as a fairy sprinted past me with about 10m to go.
If you could run with any famous runner past or present, who would it be and why?
Mo Farah because he’s epic!
Who is the biggest influence on your running?
Probably my Mum because she supports me every time I race.
Jessica Hegarty is 21 and a final year physio student from Bridgend. She runs for Cornelly Striders.
Besides your win at the MMTRF Giant Rabbit, what has been your greatest running achievement to date?
It would be running for Wales in the XC in Edinburgh and coming first in my age group in the world half marathon championships in Cardiff.
Why do you enjoy trail running?
It’s a lot like XC which I also love. I love the hills and mud.
What distance(s) do you prefer to run?
5k +
What does a typical training week look for you?
I’m currently coming back to running from a stress fracture in my hip, so I’m keeping my distances that a run only up to 5k at the moment, also with lots of strengthening sessions in the gym.
What are your favourite training sessions?
I really enjoy training up the hills in the sand dunes.
Why do you run? And what got you started?
I started running in primary school XC competitions and I’ve kept it going since then.
Where is your favourite place you have run?
My favourite place to run is around the coasts, I feel very lucky to have such nice local places to run.
If you could enter any race in the world, what one and why?
The London marathon because it’s a race I’ve always wanted to do and it’s very hard to get into.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on a run?
I slipped and fell in a puddle on the home straight of a race when I was about 10. I’ll never forget that!
Have you ever been beaten by a fancy dress runner?
On the first half marathon I did in Cardiff, a man dressed as a fairy sprinted past me with about 10m to go.
If you could run with any famous runner past or present, who would it be and why?
Mo Farah because he’s epic!
Who is the biggest influence on your running?
Probably my Mum because she supports me every time I race.
GIANT RABBIT – 2016 MEN’S WINNER: ANDREW TUCKEY
Andrew Tuckey is 40, works in IT and is from Sydney, Australia but lives in Bridgend. He runs for Bridgend AC. He is married with 2 kids. His wife is from Bridgend which explains why he doesn’t live in Australia anymore.
Besides your win at the MMTRF Giant Rabbit, what has been your greatest running achievement to date?
Probably my 6th place at UTMB in 2014. It’s 100 miles through the mountains around Mt Blanc and I’ve never felt so bad in a race before but I managed to get through it.
Why do you enjoy trail running?
I like running in general but I enjoy the varied terrain and conditions that come with trail running. Every race on the trails is different and you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get when you run on a new course.
What distance(s) do you prefer to run?
Generally, the longer the better. Anything between about 100 km and 100 miles seems to work best for me.
What does a typical training week look for you?
I’m pretty busy so there isn’t really a typical training week. The main things I aim for are the 2 speed sessions with Bridgend AC and a long run on the weekend, if I’m training for a hilly trail race then I’ll try and get into the Brecon Beacons for a long run if I can. I also run to and from work in Cardiff once a week and then I just try and fill in the rest of the days with easy runs.
What are your favourite training sessions?
I like to the faster sessions because I can really feel that they’re doing me some good. I’m terrible at trying to run a speed session by myself so I like running with the club and have others to push me on. The Thursday sessions like 6 by 1 mile of 8 by 1 km are probably my favourites but they are pretty painful.
Why do you run? And what got you started?
I really like the racing side of running. It’s good to have a goal race and train hard for it and then see how it all goes on race day. I ran a bit when I was at school but didn’t really start running properly until about 15 years ago when I was living in London and back then it was mainly just to try and get fit. From there I started doing some races and just got caught up in the feeling of improvement that comes early on.
Where is your favourite place you have run?
It’s hard to beat Chamonix in France for great trails and big mountains and amazing scenery. There are so many trails heading off in all directions around there that you could spend any amount of time trying them all out.
If you could enter any race in the world, what one and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to do some of my dream races but one I’d like to do one day would be Spartathlon in Greece. It’s a long road ultra with lots of history and it has a strong field so I’d like to test myself out there one day.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on a run?
Last year I attempted my first 24 hour track race in London. I lasted about 6 hours before I pulled the pin and decided to stop. The embarrassing bit was having to pack up all of my stuff into the car and literally drive around the track to get to the exit to go home. Driving past all of the runners who were still going and me having failed so early in the race was a bit embarrassing so I got out of there as quickly as possible.
Have you ever been beaten by a fancy dress runner?
My first Marathon was London in 2003 and I was definitely beaten by a few that day. I remember passing lots of Elvis’s but I had a real battle with the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz in the last few miles, I’m pretty sure I just beat him though.
If you could run with any famous runner past or present, who would it be and why?
No one really stands out that much but I would say the late Ron Clarke. He’s an Australian running legend and I’ve read a few articles by him where he talks about the training he used to do and he makes it sound really simple, just go out and run a lot and run fast. It would be good to go for a long run with him and have a good chat about what he used to get up to.
Who is the biggest influence on your running?
The only real influence is my family. Trying to fit in training around family duties makes it hard at times but I like to think my kids will grow up thinking that going out and training and doing exercise is a normal thing.
Andrew Tuckey is 40, works in IT and is from Sydney, Australia but lives in Bridgend. He runs for Bridgend AC. He is married with 2 kids. His wife is from Bridgend which explains why he doesn’t live in Australia anymore.
Besides your win at the MMTRF Giant Rabbit, what has been your greatest running achievement to date?
Probably my 6th place at UTMB in 2014. It’s 100 miles through the mountains around Mt Blanc and I’ve never felt so bad in a race before but I managed to get through it.
Why do you enjoy trail running?
I like running in general but I enjoy the varied terrain and conditions that come with trail running. Every race on the trails is different and you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get when you run on a new course.
What distance(s) do you prefer to run?
Generally, the longer the better. Anything between about 100 km and 100 miles seems to work best for me.
What does a typical training week look for you?
I’m pretty busy so there isn’t really a typical training week. The main things I aim for are the 2 speed sessions with Bridgend AC and a long run on the weekend, if I’m training for a hilly trail race then I’ll try and get into the Brecon Beacons for a long run if I can. I also run to and from work in Cardiff once a week and then I just try and fill in the rest of the days with easy runs.
What are your favourite training sessions?
I like to the faster sessions because I can really feel that they’re doing me some good. I’m terrible at trying to run a speed session by myself so I like running with the club and have others to push me on. The Thursday sessions like 6 by 1 mile of 8 by 1 km are probably my favourites but they are pretty painful.
Why do you run? And what got you started?
I really like the racing side of running. It’s good to have a goal race and train hard for it and then see how it all goes on race day. I ran a bit when I was at school but didn’t really start running properly until about 15 years ago when I was living in London and back then it was mainly just to try and get fit. From there I started doing some races and just got caught up in the feeling of improvement that comes early on.
Where is your favourite place you have run?
It’s hard to beat Chamonix in France for great trails and big mountains and amazing scenery. There are so many trails heading off in all directions around there that you could spend any amount of time trying them all out.
If you could enter any race in the world, what one and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to do some of my dream races but one I’d like to do one day would be Spartathlon in Greece. It’s a long road ultra with lots of history and it has a strong field so I’d like to test myself out there one day.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on a run?
Last year I attempted my first 24 hour track race in London. I lasted about 6 hours before I pulled the pin and decided to stop. The embarrassing bit was having to pack up all of my stuff into the car and literally drive around the track to get to the exit to go home. Driving past all of the runners who were still going and me having failed so early in the race was a bit embarrassing so I got out of there as quickly as possible.
Have you ever been beaten by a fancy dress runner?
My first Marathon was London in 2003 and I was definitely beaten by a few that day. I remember passing lots of Elvis’s but I had a real battle with the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz in the last few miles, I’m pretty sure I just beat him though.
If you could run with any famous runner past or present, who would it be and why?
No one really stands out that much but I would say the late Ron Clarke. He’s an Australian running legend and I’ve read a few articles by him where he talks about the training he used to do and he makes it sound really simple, just go out and run a lot and run fast. It would be good to go for a long run with him and have a good chat about what he used to get up to.
Who is the biggest influence on your running?
The only real influence is my family. Trying to fit in training around family duties makes it hard at times but I like to think my kids will grow up thinking that going out and training and doing exercise is a normal thing.