Healthwatch at the Wigan 10k!
We ran the Wigan 10k! (Well, jogged, walked, sprinted it. Ran fully is up in the air). We went on August 31st ready and willing to win, and although we didn't get 1st place, or second, or third or even 100th - the real victory was the experience we got along the way (Plus the muscle cramps).
This years Wigan 10k was heavily visited by Joining Jack, with 80 of their volunteers assisting at the event to make sure it all ran smoothly - representing themselves to raise awareness on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They gave out reward packs at the end, marshalled the runners and handing out refreshments across the run.
Other than ourselves, other attending groups included TalkFirst - a local non-profit mediation company based in Ince - The Brick, a Wigan based anti-povery charity, Wigan And Leigh Hospice and many many more!
It's 9am, Sunday. Everyone has come in on their off day. We gathered, and watched as dozens of other people trained on their way as we stood, waiting. You see, 2 members of our team were late, and 2 had gone to the wrong meetup - but eventually, we kerfuffled around and we fully gathered.
This was followed by a couple team photo opportunities, followed by lining up in the very large crowd preparing for the run.
Excitement in the air, it began. The mob lurched forward bit by bit until everyone had took off. Using the fact we had about 40 minutes before our team returned, we used this as an excuse to explore what Wigan 10k had done to the park.
The answer is a decent amount. From food stands to a first aid stand for those who injured themselves, even to a person in a minion costume interacting with the crowd or singers in the bandstand performing live music - the park had been turned into a party for those waiting for their runners. After getting refreshments, we returned to the barriers to see our team running through the finish line.
Triumphant, they stormed through the gates of Menses Park, sweat on their brows and cramps in their legs. Although staggered in timing they all made it through. Our personal winner, Lisa, made it in around 50 minutes - 10 minutes over first place, who completed the 10k in 40. Meeting the volunteers from Joining Jack at the finish line, all the runners received a fancy little bag of winnings - including a medal, a few Uncle Joes Mint Balls, a drink and a banana! (Might be why there was a minion visiting). Pictured below is this fancy medal on a less fancy runner.
All in all, we had fun. It was a lot of waiting, a lot of running, a little walking and a bit too much exercise for our elderly team, but we'd say we smashed it, and you could too. Healthwatch are joining in on the 2025 Wigan 10k, if you volunteer with us you could have the chance to join in, have some fun and get your calves bigger than ever - maybe even win the race with us too!
