When I arrived, I was worried I wouldn’t spot Harriet in the race amongst the swarm of runners. I was quickly reassured when the sound of football studs came clopping around the corner.
“Whether my toenails are to survive even a half is a question yet to be answered,” said Harriet, letting out a light giggle, “Hard ground and studded boots are not a nice combination.”
Harriet Lucero is running the Media City Half Marathon in a full Winton Wanderers kit – shirt, shorts, shin pads and studs, with a football tucked underneath her arm. She is preparing to do the same at the London Marathon in April, to set a new Guinness World Record for fastest female runner in a full football kit. It’s nearly 12 o’clock, and Harriet and her friend have just crossed the finish line with beaming smiles.
“Winton is my sons club,” said Harriet. It’s pouring it down, and Harriet’s shirt has turned a dark shade of red.
Harriet isn’t just running for Winton this year. She’s running to raise money for Salford Mind, a mental health charity that provides financial guidance and general psychological support, as well as support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Salford.
Though she hasn’t had personal dealings with Mind, Harriet briefly touched on her inspiration for the run: her close friend, who has sought practical and emotional support from the charity in recent years to ease “some very difficult circumstances.”
I asked Harriet if she feels running has helped her personally.
“Mentally? Massively, it’s downtime. The reason I’ve kept running and running longer distances is it gives me a focus and something to train for.”
Staying consistent with all forms of exercise have been proven to support both the body and the mind. Endorphins – a ‘feel-good” hormone – are released when a person exercises. Along with this, exercise has been shown to amplify the production of serotonin and dopamine, chemicals that support emotional regulation.
Harriet and I took shelter out of the rain and continued chatting. Running has been a relief for her from day to day life and entering the Media City Half (and now the London Marathon) has kept her motivated to continue.
“It does me the world of good,” Harriet said. “But I know full well if I didn’t enter the next one, I would probably stop because day to day life gets a lot and if you haven’t got something that keeps you out or keeps you going you’d give up, and I don’t want to give up.”
Despite the weather, and the football boots, Harriet left Salford Quays slightly sodden yet brighter than when she got there. We can only hope it won’t be so rainy in London.
