A man who had not run for decades is about to take on a marathon thanks to Bolton’s famous IRONMAN weekend.
Rob Moran-Hetherington got the running bug after deciding to do a Couch to 5k programme to get fit after the pandemic.
His goal was to take part in Night Run, which kicks off Bolton’s annual weekend of IRONMAN events every June.
Rob heard about a Couch to 5k group being set up by the council in 2023 through his work as an enterprise officer for Bolton library service.
Rob explained:
“The first week you run for only thirty seconds or a minute at a time. The leaders were excellent and after nine weeks you’re running for thirty minutes.
“It was a great experience and even now we regularly meet up for a run.”
Rob describes getting active as challenging but ultimately rewarding. Inspired by his achievement and wanting to keep on running, he started joining regular Park Runs.
Then for Night Run in 2024 he doubled his distance and completed the 10k route running alongside his daughter, Milly.
Spurred on by his success he immediately signed up for a half marathon.
The hilly route through Heaton Park was tougher than he expected, but Rob crossed the line and promptly registered for another half marathon this February.
Then in April he takes on his toughest challenge yet – a full 26-mile marathon along Blackpool seafront.
For Rob, the decision to get active came when he found himself in his fifties with the pandemic behind him.
He says:
“Running just makes me feel great. Once you get over the initial red face and huffing and puffing, it’s wonderful.
“You get into the rhythm of your feet on the ground and everything falls away – worries, stresses, strains, all disappear.”
It is not just his mental health that has benefited, his physical health has improved too.
“Running has made a massive and measurable difference,” he says.
“I’ve lost weight, I’m no longer looking at statins for my cholesterol and I’m not borderline diabetic anymore.
“I feel better all round and running has given me a bit more grit in my approach to everything.”
Rob revealed that he has even come up with his own signature move: he skips across the finish line like Morecambe and Wise.
For anyone thinking about starting to run or getting active, Rob’s advice is not to delay.
He is a big fan of starting with a Couch to 5k because of the gentle programme, supportive approach and chance to get know the people you are running with.
Rob has already signed up for this year’s Night Run.
“I love the atmosphere of it,” he says. “Everyone is really supportive and it’s great to get high-fives along the route, it really lifts me.
“I’m not fast by any means, but I’m faster than I used to be and that’ll do for me.”
Register for Night Run at www.ironman.com/races/im703-bolton/night-run
To contact Rob about support for your business, call 07792 201 577.