Ben Gregoriou shares his journey to the Great North Run. From his first steps into running to fundraising for the Silver Star Maternity Fund charity, race-day challenges, and future goals, Ben’s story highlights the motivation, community, and emotion behind every mile. Ben wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Prof Christopher Redmond at the Silver Star Unit in Oxford, who passed away in August 2024, so raising money for the charity from this run was especially important.

You can donate to Ben's Great North Run fundraising efforts on his Just Giving page here

If you'd like to follow in Ben's footsteps and run your next event for the Silver Star Maternity Fund, or you're interested in one of the charity's London Marathon entries, email Maggie [email protected]. Find out more about the charity here

For more podcasts head to https://www.sapphirerunningzone.com/podcasts. We have 3 channels, one on training and fundraising support, this one on runner stories and a third for members only. If you'd to be the focus on one just let us know using the chat function on the homepage.

PODCAST NOTES

Keywords

Great North Run, running, training, charity, fundraising, race day, half marathon, personal journey, fitness, community support

Summary

In this episode of the Runner Stories podcast, Tim Rogers interviews Ben, who recently completed the Great North Run. Ben shares his personal journey into running, the motivations behind his charity choice, and the extensive training he undertook for the half marathon. He discusses the challenges and excitement of race day, including the atmosphere, course layout, and his emotional experience during the final stretch. Additionally, Ben reflects on his fundraising efforts and future running goals, emphasising the importance of community support and personal motivation.

Takeaways

Ben started running for fitness and health reasons.
He chose to fundraise for the Silver Star Unit due to personal connections.
Training for the Great North Run involved a 19-20 week program.
Ben integrated both outdoor and treadmill runs into his training.
The Great North 10K served as a warm-up for the half marathon.
Race day nerves kicked in the morning of the event.
Preparation included organising gear the night before.
The first half of the course was his favorite due to the atmosphere.
Crowd support was significant but varied throughout the course.
Ben raised over £800 for charity, exceeding his initial target.

Titles

Running for a Cause: Ben's Great North Run Journey
From Fitness to Fundraising: Ben's Running Story

Sound bites

"I did a 19-20 week training program"
"I set a new PB in that"
"I was actually really shocked"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ben's Running Journey
02:27 Training for the Great North Run
07:08 Race Day Preparations
11:12 Experiencing the Course: First Half
17:17 Navigating the Second Half of the Race
19:37 The Final Stretch and Emotions
21:13 Fundraising Success and Motivation
25:05 Looking Ahead: Future Running Goals