As we get closer to the Great North Run people will be preparing for the half marathon. As part of our run up to the great north run series we are speaking to people as they prepare. We spoke to Alex and Kevin from the Peoples Kitchen as they gear up for the half marathon to raise money for the charity.
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00:00 You're a runner for the People's Kitchen, so tell me a bit about where the idea came
00:05 about for you running the Great North Run.
00:08 Well I think we did it for the first time as a charity last year, or in my time, so
00:12 I've been here about seven years. I've been living in the North East for nearly 25 years
00:17 so I have done the Great North Run a number of times. I think I'm into double figures,
00:21 but most of them were a little while ago. So yeah, it's just a great opportunity to
00:25 raise money for a great charity.
00:27 And how are you feeling? If you've done the Great North Run before, hopefully it will
00:30 get you a bit further.
00:33 Yeah, training hasn't really started yet. I did my first proper run last night, so...
00:40 But yeah, I'm not too worried about the time. I think the main thing is just to trot round
00:43 slowly and try and enjoy it, and hopefully raise a few quid as well.
00:48 I'm running the Great North Run for the People's Kitchen. It's a charity that does great work
00:51 around the North East. We serve over about 250 meals a night and the service is getting
00:56 busier and busier. And for me, it's really important to raise vital funds for a charity
01:00 that means quite a lot to me.
01:01 Yeah, definitely. And how's training going for you, because it's only a couple of weeks
01:05 away?
01:06 Honestly, terribly. This will be my seventh Great North Run. It's going to be my slowest
01:11 Great North Run, but I don't really care. I'm raising money for a charity that means
01:14 a lot to me and people of the North East.
01:18 Yeah, so in terms of we're open every day, so we're open every evening, and then Saturday
01:25 and Sunday mornings. So any funds that are raised will go to providing sort of the food
01:31 and the clothes and everything that we give to our friends. So yeah, so it's wonderful
01:37 that we're a volunteer-led charity, so all money raised will 100% go into the running
01:43 costs of the charity and helping the friends and give them the service that hopefully we
01:48 can continue in the future as well.
01:54 Take on board the atmosphere as you go around. I've run half marathons outside of the region.
01:59 It's home. It's one of the reasons I support this charity. It's a charity based in the
02:02 North East for the North East. But as you go around, just taking the atmosphere, that
02:06 gets you around when your legs don't necessarily carry you. The cheers, the free oranges, the
02:11 jellyberries and the hoes from the fire station definitely help as you go around. Just, yeah,
02:15 taking the atmosphere as you go.
02:17 I think it's just to enjoy it, take it slowly at the start, and just not to worry about
02:24 a time. It's just, you know, you just want to get around, enjoy it and have fun. So yeah,
02:30 no one's going to be like a Brendan Foster or Steve Cranwell or Paula Radcliffe. So just,
02:34 yeah, just take your time, run within yourself and try and enjoy it.
02:38 And how are you feeling with only a few weeks left to go?
02:43 Maybe like I should have done a bit more training, but I know it'll be fine, even if I have
02:46 to walk a bit. It's not the end of the world. So yeah, I'm sure it'll be good fun on the
02:51 day.
02:52 Just a few more weeks, to be honest. Looking forward to it. It's always a great day. And
02:56 the atmosphere, as I said, it gets you around. But a bit nervous, more nervous than usual,
03:00 but yeah, it'll be a great day.