On their marks: Standard’s team of readers running their hearts out for Felix

In training: Team Felix runners at New Balance’s store. From left, Suaad Bile, Steve Beard, George Tovey, Simon Sinfield, Katerina Chroma, Ben Edmonds, Ian Kaye, Jibrel Ahmed, Jocelyn Hunter, Bruno Valverde, Helen Price and Michelle Theophilus
NIGEL HOWARD ©
Ed Cumming26 February 2018

Team Felix runners met at New Balance’s flagship store on Oxford Street to receive new kit and swap tips on training for their fast-approaching half-marathon.

Fifty-seven runners will be lining up in Felix colours on Sunday alongside Sir Mo Farah and other stars to run the Big Half and raise money for the food surplus charity as part of the Evening Standard’s Help a Hungry Child appeal.

Among them are 14 lucky readers, selected from hundreds of applicants who responded to a call to action in the paper last month.

The youngest runner on the team is George Tovey, 17. “My mum reads the paper a lot, and one night she came home and told me about the competition to be part of Team Felix,” he says.

George is studying sports at school, and knows about the importance of nutrition and exercise.

“If you don’t have a balanced diet you won’t be able to do well in school,” he said. “Every time I go for a run it changes my mood and makes me more able to concentrate.” He is not alone in having a personal interest in the Help a Hungry Child appeal.

Michelle Theophilus, a business studies teacher from Balham, sees first-hand how valuable eating well can be in school: “In some of my morning lessons the kids come in drinking energy drinks, eating sweets and crisps. They’re hyperactive. I try to bring in healthier muffins and juices.

“Being part of Team Felix has been amazing. I’ve done lessons on it to inspire the kids, showing them that they could do something as mad as this.”

New Balance staff used the in-store Stride ID device to assess the runners’ stance and select running shoes that were right for them. They stress that the correct footwear is important to avoid injuries in training or on the day.

In total more than 15,000 runners will tackle the Big Half, a new half-marathon from the organisers of the London Marathon. The route will start by the Tower of London and go east to Canary Wharf before doubling back to Tower Bridge and finishing in Greenwich.

“My training runs home from work take me through Regent’s Park and Hyde Park, and you see a lot of diversity on that route,” said Steve Beard, a chartered surveyor at CBRE. “Some places are really quite poor, and right next door are places that are really rich. Part of the appeal’s aim is to make sure everyone’s on an equal footing.”

How to Support Team Felix in The Big Half:

Text – FELIX £5 TO 70700

Freephone – 08000 639281

And follow the Team on social - #TeamFelix

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