If you follow me on social media you’ll know that I love a good run! Where I live in Kent we’re surrounded by beautiful countryside which makes running all the more enjoyable and has provided some much needed escapism over the last year or so.

Although you only need a pair of trainers to run, it can be hard to find the motivation particularly on a cold, wet night. To help overcome this I joined a wonderful, inclusive local running club, Just Run. It is through this club I learnt of the dedication and achievements of Harvey, the subject of this interview. I am seriously impressed!

Firstly Harvey, could you tell us a little about yourself please.

My name is Harvey, I am 12 years old and I am from Tonbridge. I go to Skinners School

What is it about running that made you want to have a go? 

My dad is a passionate runner and I felt that I would like to follow in his footsteps.

When did you first start?

I started running from a young age, going to the Park Run every Saturday.

Please can you explain to us how you trained at the beginning. How did you build up distances and your times?

The way that I built up my distance was by running slightly farther every time and to build up speed I would do the same but instead of changing distance I would run slightly quicker each time.

In preparation for my challenge I ended up running 70 km's in one week and about 230 km in a month.

What’s been your proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement was when I ran my very first half marathon in 2 hours 16 minutes.

Can you tell us about a low point in your running career and how you picked yourself up?

At one point I found I wasn’t running as strong as usual so I went and tried my training regime and ended up running better than ever.

What’s the furthest you’ve run and how did you feel at the end?

The furthest I have run is a half marathon and when I completed it I felt so happy because I never imagined that I could do it.

What would you say to a girl or boy who hasn’t been running before? How would you persuade them to give it a try?

It might turn out that you don’t like running but you will never know unless you try but, to be honest, I would be very surprised if you didn’t enjoy it.

What other sports would you like to try and why?  Are there any local teams where you could have a go?  

I would like to do some athletics. I think that there is an athletics club I can go to at Tonbridge School if I choose to proceed.

Thank you Harvey – a half marathon is quite an achievement at such a young age!  I’m really impressed with the diligence it takes to train to run for 13.1 miles – well done!