This week we catch up with Abi Morgan another one of our #EverPresent tribe who has participated in EVERY Swansea Half Marathon since we began!
What spurred you on to start running?
I was never any good at sports at school, and always got picked last by the team captains in games lessons. If it involved throwing, catching or hitting a ball, I was rubbish at it and as a result very self-conscious, like a lot of teenage girls. However, on the occasions we would do cross-country running, and left the grounds of Olchfa school to run through Clyne Woods, I discovered that if I just kept plodding along, I didn’t do too badly. I always loved watching the London marathon and little did I know then that one day I would end up taking part in it.
How long have you been running?
I moved away from Swansea to go to university and after spending far too much time and money in the student union bar and local kebab shops in my early twenties, I was very unfit. In 1999, a friend asked me if I fancied training to do a Race For Life run and so we embarked on a couch to 5k plan. I remember my first training run on the cycle path in Killay. We made it about 100 metres before having to stop for breath. We managed to complete the 5k run and I was well and truly bitten by the running bug. In 2000, after a drunken bet, I entered the Swansea Bay 10k and in 2002 I joined a running club where I now live in the Midlands. By 2003 I was lining up alongside the Wombles and rhinos at the London Marathon. Fast forward 20 years and my love of running just grows stronger. Running has given me so many happy memories and got me through some tough patches over the years. I have made many good friends and also met my husband through running. He will also be running Swansea this year.
Have you ever volunteered as a racemaker with us?
No, as I’ve always been running it, sorry! But I really appreciate everyone who gives up their time to make the event happen.
How many half-marathons have you completed?
I have run 17 full marathons, mostly at London and the Great Welsh Marathon, and I’ve lost count of how many halfs and 10k’s. I have a heavy box full of all the medals. So I was very happy when I heard Swansea was starting up a proper city half marathon.
Can you share a special memory from #RunSwansea over the years?
It sends shivers down my spine every year when I hear the national anthem being sung live before the start. I also love the enthusiastic support down at Mumbles. I always look up to see if Bonnie Tyler is on her balcony waving at us! Which she occasionally is!
What makes you want to come back to #RunSwansea every year?
Hiraeth! It’s my home race and I have even been known to rebook holidays to accommodate it. I still visit Swansea several times a year and the race really shows off Swansea at its best. And it’s also an opportunity to have a Joe’s ice cream!
Is there a particular year that was your favourite or stood out for you?
I think the first race back after the pandemic was important, to begin to reconnect with normal life. Things were organised a little differently, but I was so happy to be racing again.
What would you like to see at our 10th-anniversary event?
Bonnie Tyler singing the National anthem! Come on Bonnie, you know you want to! 😊
If you are part of our #EverPresent gang or have an interesting story to tell get in touch with us by emailing: [email protected]
