High fives for 50 days of fun
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Five kilometres doesn’t sound like a long way to me, but the challenge I’ve been facing over the last couple of months is to do at least that every day for 50 consecutive days.
The concept of the run, cycle or walk “event” was dreamt up by Raymond Wallace, from near Cannich, Inverness-shire, and the 5x50 Challenge was launched.
The organisers were hoping for a few hundred entrants but ended up with more than 5000 people signing up. A team in Glasgow has been organising events in the Central Belt while in the Highlands, Raymond has been getting the northern contingent into the spirit of the challenge.
We started out on September 9th with a 5km run at Muir of Ord and finished on Sunday with another 5km at Bught Park in Inverness.
In between, I’ve been all over the place clocking up the kilometres and trying to keep motivated to do the distance each day.
Apart from commuting to work on my bike, my 5km days have included a week-long cycle trip to the Western Isles, the River Ness 10K at Inverness, a few walks and bike rides for Active Outdoors and a number of training runs.
The 5x50 Challenge has been different from any other event I’ve taken part in, basically because it’s up to you to complete it. There are no marshals telling you where to go and making sure you don’t take any shortcuts – there’s no one to cheat but yourself. So you just get out and make sure you do it.
Some days were easy, others a real struggle, but I’d do it all again. In fact, I’m planning to – next year when the 5x50 Challenge returns in the spring.
The beauty of this challenge is it’s not just a one-off tick-the-box kind of event. There’s a real purpose behind it and that is to encourage more people to lead healthy and active lifestyles.
Five kilometres isn’t a huge distance, and the idea is to show that it is possible for almost anybody to fit it into their own life. That might be by cycling to work, walking to the shops or even by joining a jogging group in your area.
It’s flexible because people’s lives are busy and varied, but by challenging people to complete the distance each day in one way or another, it makes you fit it around your daily life.
Once you’ve managed that for nearly two months, there’s no reason to stop.
* Next year’s challenge will start on March 31st. Keep an eye on the website at 5x50.co.uk for registration opening.
John’s 5x50 Challenge
Total 953km | Average 19km a day | Walk 49km | Run 77km | Cycle 827km
My own challenge was clearly dominated by cycling, and that’s because I cycle to work every day and I had a week’s cycling holiday during the 50 days. It certainly made my distances look quite high! I’d like to have done more running, so that will be my aim for the next 5x50.
Run the world
Scottish government doctor Andrew Murray (pictured), a key supporter of the 5x50 Challenge, begins an epic challenge of his own later this month.
He plans to run seven marathons in seven days on seven different continents, effectively “running the world”.
So organisers have now launched the 5x50 Run the World project. The plan is to get as many people as possible to run, jog or walk 5km per day starting on November 23rd – collectively running at least five times round the world in the same week.
That’s a massive 200,040km to be run – and 5715 people are needed to achieve this total.
There’s no fee to enter and any funds raised will go to Dr Murray’s favoured charity, Scottish Association for Mental Health.
Anybody who enters is also in with a chance of winning a stay at Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and Chris Hoy signed goodies.
Registration will be open soon at 5x50.co.uk
