PB:Running meets RuntheWorld
In January 2020, PB:Running started a 10am Saturday morning running class in Park Barceloneta to support the work of RuntheWorld. The class features long intervals designed to help athletes prepare for long-distance endurance events such as marathons like the Sierra Leone Marathon which RuntheWorld features as one of their trips. A donation will be made to charity for each participant attending these training sessions.
Please visit RuntheWorld to find about more about their projects.
Kyle Jones of RuntheWorld chatted to Alan about running, how he got involved with RuntheWorld, and what the RuntheWorld team has planned next.
Interview Questions: PB:Running
Why is it important for you and PB:Running to create a community and a partnership with RuntheWorld?
I met Carole when she started attending my classes to help train for her first triathlon. She later explained to me about RuntheWorld and the work that they do. I was delighted to help both Carole, a fantastic member of our PB:Running group, and also anyone undertaking any of the fantastic challenges that RuntheWorld offer. Like Carole, I have a passion for sport, travel, creating a community, and making a difference to others. I am grateful for the opportunity and I hope to help people prepare for their RuntheWorld adventures.
How has RuntheWorld met your criteria for a business to partner with?
Carole is a very forward-thinking person and we get on well as business partners, friends, and as a coach to pupil. We both have the same drive and enthusiasm for what we do, and what each other does. I am delighted to be able to make a small contribution to help the fantastic work that Carole and RuntheWorld do.
Are you interested in participating in any of the upcoming RuntheWorld adventures?
The RuntheWorld adventures all have an amazing appeal to them. From countries I know little about, to countries I have often wanted to visit, there is intrigue with each adventure. The challenges are exciting and the organizations that RuntheWorld pair with are all worthwhile causes to be able to help. It would be fantastic to be able to participate in such adventures.
Interview Questions: RuntheWorld
Can you tell us a little bit about how RuntheWorld started, and what it means to you?
RuntheWorld is a representation of what matters to me in life. It encompasses everything that I believe in and love: sport, travel, and social impact. It takes all of these and combines it into one united experience that is life-changing for the participants and those they interact with. Our philosophy is to offer an alternative type of tourism, one with purpose.
Can you dive deeper into some of the trips RuntheWorld takes, maybe some of the ones that are coming up soon?
Starting in 2018, our first adventure was to Madagascar as a cycling excursion. This trip is still one that we do today. It is one of my favorite trips because it shows participants a unique part of our world’s landscape.
We also pair with Agua de Coco which is a great organization that focuses on the health and education of children on this big island. From this first trip, we have expanded to a Sierra Leone marathon, where participants get to explore the beautiful landscape and visit our NGO partner and then at the end of the trip they get to embark on a marathon. This is one of our most intense excursions but our participants have told us it is one of the most rewarding ones.
We partner with Street Child there who also focus on childhood health and education. Our third and newest destination will be in Colombia, this trip will be different than the first two as it is more of a challenging hike and not an intense bicycle race or marathon. On this trip, we are pairing with Aiprodensa and Costeño Social. Aiprodensa is an organization that focuses on conserving nature around the Sierra Nevada and Costeño Social is about the education and health of children.
Why do you feel it is important to create a fitness community with RuntheWorld?
Creating a fitness community within RuntheWorld is crucial because these adventures are challenging and are taking place in areas that most participants are unfamiliar with. With this community, participants are able to be better prepared for their sports challenge while at the same time feeling more confident in their abilities before and during the trips. By sharing with a community past experiences it can promote a sense of understanding for what is to come.
When looking for a sport professional to train the RuntheWorld community what did you search for?
We wanted someone who was specialized in running and who was able to offer something new and unique for our athletes. As these adventures put a lot of strain on our bodies we want nothing less than the best when it comes to training. This workout from Alan will give our participants a challenging and demanding, yet personalized workout. This workout will not only improve running times but recovery times as well.
To delve further into this, in each session Alan prepares your pace goal and helps you reach it by correcting your technique and encouraging you to give your best and push through till the end. These interval sessions have also been adapted to long-distance running. Instead of doing small sprints in our Saturday morning sessions, Alan pushes us to our best performance for 1km our more so that we can all improve our times in a half or full marathon.
How is PB:Running the perfect fit, and what do you hope to accomplish from joining together?
I believe for these kinds of projects you need to have similar values. These values should not only be on the business side but on the personal side as well. Alan and I both believe in improving your self-esteem through exercise, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, and leaving a lasting impact around you. With these values aligned our partnership will be able to be very successful for both of us.
You can view the RuntheWorld intervals by PB:Running and all my other running classes on MeetUp
RuntheWorld’s team finish line at Sierra Leone Marathon. Photo credit Chris Parkes and Street Child.