My running journey: I can not remember not enjoying running. Aged 11 I was in the School Cross Country team, moving on to represent County and Swansea Harriers. I fell in love running again in 2011 joining 3M’s in 2013 to prepare for Cardiff Half Marathon. It has been like a family for 11 years. I prefer training (especially hills), rather than events.

Most Memorable Run: My Sunday morning runs in the hills in Lesotho Africa (during my volunteer teacher placement), being joined by bare footed children watching the families wash their clothes in the river.

Highlight Running Event: Completing the Cardiff Half alongside my daughter.

Favourite 3Ms Event: My first Castles Weekend, both the run and the camaraderie.

Coaching Journey: I started 40 years ago as a PE teacher, I have been involved in 3M’s as a coach for 10 years, and a CiRF for 7 years. I coach to pass on my enjoyment of running to others and help them improve, I also enjoy researching and planning training sessions. It has allowed me to continue to be involved in the club although I have been unable to run for a number of years due to an injury.

The only sport I played in school was netball (I “mitched” athletics
every week). I only ever played Goal Shooter or Goal Attack, so I didn’t have to run around too much! At age 17 I was selected for netball trials for West Glamorgan but declined as I had a better offer of a weekend away with friends in Blackpool (my netball teacher was so disappointed in me).
I started running in 1985 aged 25 to impress my then partner, now husband Ian who was already a marathon runner by then. I joined 3Ms in 1992, and I have been helping to coach in club since about 1993. I did my original ACC (Assistant Club Coach) award in 1994 and then replaced this with the newer LiRF (Leader in Running Fitness) qualification in 2010. Although I continued coaching over the years, I didn’t complete my CiRF (Coach in Running Fitness) until Feb 2025.
Whenever I find the coaching challenging I simply remind myself that
back about 20 years ago I became a netball coach for primary school
children through the medium of Welsh, (which is not my first language but I have an A Level) whilst also studying for my French GCSE. French evening classes were on the same night as the school netball practice. Nothing about coaching adults to run using the English language can surely be as difficult as that was. I never knew what I was saying or even if it was all in the same language.

Times achieved: 1mile 6.58 (in my 30s), 5k 24.49 (in my 40s), 10k 47.36 (in my 30s), HM 1.42 (in my late 20s), Marathon 3:50 (in my 30s), Half IM 6.49 (age 48)
Favourite race: Maentwrog to Harlech stage of Welsh Castles relay
(with Christine Hurdidge) & Snowdon Marathon (3 times)
Scariest Sporting Moment: Golden Grove 10K in 1989, I
was pregnant with Laura but hadn’t told anyone. It was boiling hot
and they ran out of water before halfway. I was so scared I was going
to harm my baby (there was one woman in showers at finish fully clothed they were trying to cool down). I needn’t have worried – look at her now!

Being part of the club has been much more than just running, in fact
for a significant amount of time, I haven’t been able to run so have
volunteered and supported – it’s been lovely to give back!
I’m not a fast runner, but I love to run – my favourite runs being long,
slow trail runs and cross country. I also love Parkrun; I first became involved as a participant, then as a volunteer and loved it so much I was invited to be an RD and CoEvent Director at Swansea Bay.
I’m also a British Cycling Ride Leader and Breeze Champion. I’m passionate about how being active and being outside, especially with others, it is so important to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. I want to share that with others – there’s nothing better than a long muddy run on a cold day followed by coffee, chatting and
lots of laughter.
I became a LIRF to support and give back to a club that has supported and encouraged me. I hope that in doing so I’m able to support and encourage all members – of all abilities.

I’m am a retired Physical Education teacher. During my career I successfully coached teams in athletics, tennis, netball, hockey, and cross country. After I joined 3Ms, I achieved the LIRF qualification and became one of a committed team of coaches. I run, swim and more recently cycle on a daily basis… and, as I’m retired, I can take part in races that are a little more far afield like Sydney Half Marathon! I was recently to be selected to run for Wales in the Masters Cross Country Home International in Glasgow.

I did football, cricket, athletics and rugby from age of 8, I concentrated on Athletics in my teens with Swansea Harriers, but went back to rugby at 19 and played at Swansea & Gowerton. At Gowerton in mid 80s, I was asked to play for Llanelli v Cardiff. I then joined 3Ms in 1999, became a LiRF in 2010 and CiRF in 2015, qualified as a L3 PT & DNAFit Trainer also in 2015. I did my L1 British Cycling qualification with Gower Riders, teaching kids and young adults cycle skills.

I started taking running seriously when I came 3rd in 11-13 Hereford 3mile Road Race in 17:36 at age 11. At 12 yrs old I won 600m Welsh Indoor Championships (1974). At 17, I represented Wales at 1500m u20 and XC at u20 level.

Times achieved:

• 800m 1:56 age 17
• 1500m 3:59 age 17
• 1mile 4:18 age 17
• 5k 15:20 age 17
• 10k 39:22 age 46
• HM 1:31:04 age 46
• Marathon 3:28:12 age 44
• Half IM 5:05:27 age 44
• Full IM 10:59:35 age 44

While representing Wales at 1500m u20, I raced against Steve Cram.
I shared a shower with Brendon Foster in the Fry’s chocolate factory
near Bristol. Nothing illegal took place, we had just finished running
the British XC Champs.

Back in 1979, I was part of a training group within Swansea Harriers, and at a training camp in Ogmore we trained alongside Steve Ovett and a few other internationals on Merthyr Mawr big Dipper. The following year he won Olympic Gold in Moscow.

Favourite race: Welsh Castles Relay and Builth to Drovers stage, as well as Snowdon Marathon
Scariest Sporting Moment: IM training swimming from Caswell to Langland with the Sandles, conditions changed quickly and got caught in a rip in very rough waters. Tried swimming back to Caswell but had to abandon and got smashed against the rocks, and stuck in a cove with an incoming tide. Eventually got rescued by RNLI.
Toughest Race: Austria IM 2004. My bike had been taken in T1 (found it in Elite area after 25mins). I ate too many gels on the bike and had trouble on the run from mile 9. The next 17 miles were pretty miserable, pebble dashing a bush every 3 miles!

I joined 3Ms after attending Paul Rees’s circuit training, and here I am. I was apprehensive because – despite being reasonably fit – I had spent my last 30 years playing football to a good standard but never thought of joining a running club. However despite knee injuries, I’m so glad I joined.

I became a LiRF coach after taking a weekends training course to coach 4-9 year olds at a club called CHAMPS based at Swansea University’s indoor centre. I’m so glad I took this as it’s allowed me to continue my coaching with 3Ms.

Sadly my gorgeous wife, who I love with all my heart, passed away 5 years ago so I’m a single dad to my lovely 14 year old daughter Meaghan who attends every 3Ms training session and GP.

The club has been my saving grace since losing Judith. There are so many wonderful people, it feels like a family and I’ve made so many good friends who have helped me through such a difficult time.

I’m the male Welfare Officer as I’ve always been a caring person and enjoyed being there for others. My saying to my Judith, which I carry on, is: I’m happy if you’re happy.

I was asked by my previous running Club (Lichfield) to attend a Leader in Running fitness course in 2012, and in 2017 a Coach in Running Fitness course. I’ve also attended a moving skills and other running related workshops.

Between 2012 and 2019, I lead sessions most weeks and also ran several beginners and improvers running courses for LRC. I’m pleased to be able to say that many of these beginners have developed their own love of running and several have gone on to complete marathons themselves.

Towards the end of 2019 I moved to Swansea, joined 3Ms, and gained a bakers cyst and was diagnosed with arthritis in my knees. I am assured that running does not cause arthritis and doesn’t make it worse. I can confirm however, that in my case, arthritis makes running painful. I still enjoy planning and leading sessions and thoroughly enjoy the company of runners.

I keep old fashioned hard copies of my training logs, which I first started keeping in 2002. From 2002 until 2020 when Covid and arthritis dramatically affected things, I have records for the following trail and road events:

• 8 triathlons including 3 Half Ironman distance
• approx 75x 5k’s (club time-trials and parkruns)
• 13 x 5m races
• 63 x 10k
• 15 x 7.5-9m races
• 16 x 10m
• 26 x half marathons
• 2x 20m
• 16 x marathons

My favourite event is probably Beachy Head Marathon, with Snowdon Trail marathon a close second. I’m a strong believer in having training plans that include adequate rest and adaptive time, a good mix of speeds and distances but also strength and conditioning work/cross
training.

I joined 3Ms in 2015, after losing over 6 stone in weight from January 2014 through a mixture of diet and exercise. This led me to start running, with my first race being the 2014 Swansea 10k, and then joined 3Ms a few months later. I love running and you w ill find me at most club sessions and parkrun on a Saturday morning. I really enjoy travelling for running events including Disneyland Paris, Berlin, Iceland and New York.

PBs (not recent):

• 1 mile – 6:24
• 5k – 21:20
• 10k – 42:39
• Half Marathon – 1:41:49
• Marathon – 4:01:44

Favourite race: Torfaen 10k

Worst race: 2023 Swansea Half Marathon due to heat, 2018 Port
Talbot Half Marathon – didn’t prepare for the terrain

Most unusual race: 2019 Midnight Sun Half Marathon, Iceland.
Starting 10pm and still finishing in broad daylight

Running is my adrenaline-fuelled happy place! And who doesn’t like a hormone driven power surge? It came to me later in life, starting at the age of 38 so I know what it is like to be new to a sport. For over 15 years now, I’ve done a lot of races including the London Marathon as well as the halves in Swansea, Reading and Cardiff.

I’ve also done lots of other events and particularly enjoy the Nos Galan on New Year’s Eve which is the only race I do with my husband. I’m heavily involved in Swansea Bay Parkrun as a volunteer, runner and part of the run directors’ team. I’m also partial to a bit of Parkrun tourism and have done events in Llanelli, Bath, London, Poland, Ireland and a Scottish Island where I actually won it for my age.

I have been a member of 3Ms since 2018. Since joining the club, I have met some amazing friends and had some fantastic adventures! I gained my LiRF coaching qualification whilst helping at CHAMPS, an athletics club for children aged 4-9 and have been a coach at 3Ms since 2022. As a coach, I simply want everyone to have as much fun and pleasure out of running as I get!

I started running at about 11 years old and did my first race at 12 years old the Brisco 10k, which I continued for the next couple of years. I stopped running for the next 15 years when I played football, but occasionally I ran Swansea Bay 10k. Then I started training to run Cardiff Half Marathon in 2008! It was tough, I remember thinking how the hell can someone run twice this distance!

Ironically, 2 years later I was on the start line of the London Marathon with my brother & friend Rob. We were raising money for Leukaemia Care, as Rob’s daughter who was diagnosed with leukaemia the previous year. Thankfully she’s made a full recovery. It was such an amazing experience but so emotional. I didn’t run a single step for 3 months after, until I joined 3Ms.

Most memorable run: New York Marathon in 2016. Such an iconic race but a high 5 from a Jack Russell at mile 11 was awesome, I just couldn’t stop laughing.

Highlight running event: The London Marathon, since running it in 2010, I’ve been fortunate enough to run it every year since, raising funds for charity to help make a difference.

Favourite 3M’s race: The 10-miler. It’s a tough distance and you need to trust your training to have a good race. My best time is 69:45

Coaching journey: I’ve been coaching for several years and really enjoy putting the session together and encouraging people to do their best. Encouraging people to do their best in the club sessions is just like a drug! I’ve been in that position myself many times, and helping others achieve their goals is a great feeling, and our club has fantastic members which just makes it easier.

Why I started running: I’ve been running cross country since I was 10 years old, played rugby and football from age 8 to 24.

Favourite Run: Amazon Jungle Ultramarathon, Great Wall of China Marathon, Ring of Fire 135 miler, Reading Half Marathon.

Least Favourite Run: London Marathon

Worst Running Experience: Edinburgh Marathon 2006. This was the first long distance run back post-cancer. I thought I was ready, but the first 9 miles told me that I was most definitely not. I don’t remember finishing or have any memory after the 9-mile point. I’m told I crossed the finish line and collapsed.

Favourite distance: 50 miles

Least favourite distance: 5k or under

PB: I can’t get anywhere near them these days, but 5k 16 minutes, 10k 36 minutes, Half Marathon 1:16

Running Dislikes: Racing, running watches, mile marker

Why I Run: Running has saved my life, without it I would be dead

Running Goals: To use my love of running to raise essential funds to help anyone with a cancer diagnosis and their families during such a difficult time for them. To date, I have done 18 years of fundraising split between Testicular/Prostate Cancer, The Breast Cancer Unit at Singleton Hospital, Maggie’s Singleton Hospital, Children with Leukaemia, and Primary Bone Cancer

Why I first joined 3Ms: It was recommended by a friend, I went along to Penyrheol Leisure Centre and was made to feel so welcome. The club has supported, encouraged me, and improved my running and I will be forever grateful.

Odd Running Moments:

• Seeing the Teletubbies waving at me during the 2^nd night of Waunarlwydd 200 miler
• Getting lost during the Cotswold 100 miler when I was leading the run and ending up in a lovely lady’s back garden who came out to ask me if I was OK (I explained that I was very lost)
• During the St Illtyds Ultramarathon, I took the whole field the wrong way within the first half a mile on what was my 8^th ultramarathon in 8 consecutive days on the same course (during the race brief the organiser told everyone to follow me if they get lost)
• Thanking a tree for their support thinking it was a person at a checkpoint at the 115-mile mark during Ring of Fire Ultra

Most Awkward Running Memory: During the Swiss Alps Marathon, a runner I had been running with for a few miles shit himself (he blamed it on the altitude). Fair play, he didn’t stop but the smell was horrendous. It took me nearly 3 miles to get some distance between us because every time I passed him, he kept catching me up.

What it means to me to be part of 3Ms: The pleasure I get from running with a group of like-minded people puts a smile on my face. All I want to see is that they enjoy running for our club and are able to achieve their personal goals.

The journey hasn’t been an easy one, far from it. Bowed legs, stubborn shin splints, and years of stop–start running could have been enough to make anyone hang up their shoes. But running became my anchor. It’s where I quiet the chaos, steady my mind, and step into a space that belongs entirely to me.

I’m now studying for a degree in Sports and Fitness, and I joined the 3M coaching team in summer 2025. I’m an analytical runner through
and through. I love the numbers, the patterns, and the small clues that show progress long before the big breakthroughs arrive. I’m also someone who genuinely enjoys using technology to drive results, whether that’s through metrics, form analysis, or performance tracking. I have a real interest in motivation and the mental side of running too, often setting myself challenges that demand resilience as much as physical fitness. Within 3Ms, I see myself as someone who runs for both mental health and performance, with just enough competitive edge to keep pushing for more.

My long-term goal is to help runners come back stronger from injury, prevent setbacks, and train with purpose through smart, metric-driven coaching. Half marathons have always been my distance. Life, time, and injury concerns kept me from going longer, but they never stopped me from chasing improvement.

Joining 3Ms changed everything. I wanted structure, variety, and a community that pushed me to be better, and that’s exactly what I found. Since joining the club, I’ve not only managed my old injuries, I’ve risen above them. I’ve taken my half marathon time from 2:00:23 in my first club race down to 1:38:55, which is proof that consistency beats setbacks every single time. I’ve reshaped my form too, moving from a heel striker with a cadence of 159 to a midfoot striker averaging 176. Every step has been earned.

My philosophy is simple: never give up, and always believe in yourself. Progress isn’t linear. Some days you fly, some days you fight, and some days you simply show up, but every one of those days counts. With patience, resilience, and belief, you can go further than you ever imagined.

How I become a coach: I’m best known for calling everyone “Flower.” I joined 3Ms in 1995 and first became part of the coaching team in around 2000 after completing my then Level One coaching. I nearly didn’t complete the training as, whilst on a comfort break halfway through the course, I accidentally got locked in the ladies. Every avenue of my escape plan was exhausted as I considered climbing out of a tiny window, I had one last go at the very old and rusty bolt that risked scuppering my coaching career before it had begun, became free.

In 2010, following Welsh Athletics changing the format of their coaching structure, I completed the LiRF course and didn’t visit the ladies just in case.

I became a coach because I love giving back to the hobby that gave me so such and to see others achieve their goals and get so much enjoyment out of running – it just makes me smile.

Favourite Running Experience: I was a sprinter in school, never running further than 400m (I think it was metres then but could well have been yards), so to find myself running my first Marathon in Edinburgh, within a year of joining the club was quite something. This just goes to show what the support of running buddies and coaches can do. Since joining the club, I have completed 7 Marathons, countless Half Marathons and loads of off road and “wacky” races. These have involved crossing flooded streams (I have a water phobia), climbing up vertical rope ladders (I don’t like heights) and competing in both the West Glam and Gwent Cross Country leagues.

Most Memorable Moment: I was the overall winner of the West Glam Cross Country League on two consecutive occasions, and my age group category on several occasions thereafter. I have also represented West Wales in XC. I came 2nd in the Tata Steel/Margam XC and I actually won a 5k (Botanical Gardens) and a 10k (St. Davids). I felt like Paula Radcliffe when I broke the finish line tape! Another memorable moment was running the “Glory Leg” (Final Stage) of the Castles Relay and bringing our Club Home. What a proud and emotional feeling that was. My most memorable moment was completing the London Marathon in 2009, with Paul dressed as a cow and missing his front tooth, just one year after completing my treatment for Breast Cancer. What a finishing photo that was! It was truly such a special moment crossing the finishing line with Paul. For me. running hasn’t been all about times as I have had many fab runs for all sorts of other reasons but here’s some of my running stats:

• 5k – 21.02 Carmarthen
• 10K – 42.10 Alberto Calver
• 10M – 1hr 11m Pontypridd Reverse 10
• Half Marathon – 1h 34m Cardiff
• Marathon – 3hr 47m London

Personal stuff: I am married to Paul, who also coaches, I have two amazing stepchildren and now a grandson, who are my world. I also love cats, dancing, wine and cheese and holidays in France. I have always cross-trained and love circuit training, but I still can’t swim. When I joined the club, I didn’t have any family (no parents, brothers or sisters), the club become my family and although running plays a massive part, it’s also the friendships, support, camaraderie and sharing of experience that make our club so, so special.

Running journey: I went for my first run in the first Covid lockdown
and got hooked on the high. I run mainly for my mental health, and
the community I’ve found makes this 100% times better

Most memorable run: London Marathon 2025, running for Beat for
eating disorder awareness a week after being discharged from
treatment myself

Highlight running event: Man v Horse, an iconic event that isn’t for the faint hearted

Favourite 3Ms GP: Parc le Breos… a tough start, but there’s no better feeling than flying down Heartbreak Hill to the finish line

Coaching journey: I did my LiRF in Jan 2026 to be able to encourage others to find the joy I get from running and realise their own potential