British Gold Medallist Jo Pavey was crowned ‘Queen of Richmond’ after finishing as first female athlete in the Kew Gardens 10k.
Fresh from winning her 10,000m title at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin this summer, Jo took the Richmond Running Festival by storm.
SW Londoner spoke to Jo before the race, where she praised the ‘lovely’ atmosphere of the ‘fantastic event’.
The day was hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, as 4,000 runners, along with young wheelchair athletes, lined up in Kew’s spectacular setting to compete in an array of sporting events.
David Weir CBE, six time gold Paralympic medallist and the Mayor of Richmond, Jane Boulton, took charge of starter’s orders.
The scenic race route showed off the best sights in the borough, circling inside Kew Gardens before running alongside the Thames to Teddington Lock.
Jo’s coronation took place in the middle of Old Deer Park, just behind the male winner Will Brewin, as part of the post-race party.
Jo, a former Teddington resident, said: “it’s always nice to be back in this area; it’s such a great place to train. I really enjoyed the race, I love how varied the route was and the atmosphere was fantastic along the way.”
Victory in the men’s half marathon went to Italian, Alberto Mosca, from Bialli, near Turin in a time of 1 hour 10 minutes. Mosca heard about the event and decided to combine the race with a first-time visit to London.
He said: “It was not easy for me to get a PB, but this was such a beautiful race, I didn’t mind.”
Hayley Manning, winner of the inaugural event last year, returned to compete in the ‘Visit Richmond Half Marathon, successfully retaining her title in a time of 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Around 600 local children between the ages of 4 and 15 took part in Nike Kids’ Mile races.
The Richmond Running Festival was established last year giving the Borough a London Olympic legacy sporting event.
Paul Buckley, Operations Director at the Royal Botanic Gardens, said: “it feels very special to be hosting the start of the Richmond Running Festival.
“We are delighted to be support a community event that promotes active lifestyles for all ages.”
Pictures courtesy of Richmond Running Festival, with thanks
