WHO WE ARE
|
Richard Pemberton
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Richard is our head coach and a fitness enthusiast who first encountered Medway Fit as one of the beginners on our first ever Couch to 5km group in the Spring/Summer of 2014. Richard has quickly developed into a seasoned runner and qualified as a Coach in Running Fitness in January 2018. Richard regularly swims, gyms, cycles, hikes and runs... in fact we sometimes wonder if he ever sleeps! |
|
Phil Carey
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualifying 2022 Coach - UK Athletics level 3 track & field coach Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Phil is a key player in the story of our club being birthed in September 2013. Phil has competed as a track & field athlete at regional level and was an accomplished triple jumper. Phil has found a real love for running in the last three years and has an impressive 5km PB of 17:50 (and steadily falling!). Phil is a qualified UK Athletics level 3 track & field coach and has also been a personal trainer as well as a teacher on sports and nutrition. Phil recently completed the 2016 Brighton marathon in 3:20 (his first marathon) and has completed several half-marathon events with a PB of 1:25:29 set at Tonbridge in Feb 2017. |
|
Zoe Pemberton
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Mrs P is well know for the hashtag #runningsucksbutdoitanyway but we think that she might secretly enjoy it. Zoe has completed races on road, trail and obstacle course. Zoe ran Race to the Stones in 2016 with Richard, Gordon and Natalie and has since Richard & Zoe have since completed Man vs Lakes in 2018, Man vs Coast in 2019, Race to the King and Dulux Revolutions Trail marathon in 2021.. Zoe qualified as a LIRF in 2018 and loves to inspire others to run and help them progress. Zoe qualified as a Coach in Running Fitness in 2022 |
|
Chris Rowlands
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Chris is in the top two of the "Medway Fit Run Leaders born on 10th April" rankings. He has been running for nearly ten years, and subscribes to the notion that you can lead by example - of what not to do. He is a part of two parkrun core teams - Great Lines and Cyclopark - and very much hopes parkrun is still a thing, if you're reading this in the distant future. Chris leads any pace group, although a dodgy knee means he's forgotten all the names of the ridiculously fast runners. He's very grateful for running tops showing people's names. Chris will qualified as a CIRF in 2022.. |
|
Hayley Stewart
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Hayley leads our Tuesday night St. Mary's Island run. Hayley has trained with Medway Fit for some time and has become a much-loved member of the team. Hayley can often be seen encouraging other runners on as they graduate from our Couch-to-5KM training programme and develop into Event Group runners by competing in 5km & 10km events. Hayley has completed the Brighton marathon and loves good books and adventures in the wild. |
|
Dee Yamoah
Dee is without doubt the social hub of Medway Fit. She often processes the results for our local Great Lines parkrun and can be seen networking and encouraging runners from across all of the different running groups across Medway & beyond. Dee keeps our administrative wheels well oiled and manages our online events diary and twitter feed and is also the technical wizard of the group. Dee is the go-to person if you need any advice with how to sync your runs across different devices/websites or on what new tech kit to purchase! Dee recently completed her challenge (the #12in12 challenge) of running 12 marathons between her 39th and 40th Birthdays. Her marathon total currently stands at 24 and she is on her way to becoming an Associate Member of the 100 Marathon Club (aka as the Wannabee Club). |
|
Kirsty Winwood
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Kirsty holds the female world record for having completed 0 to 100 marathons in the quickest time. Amazingly Kirsty joined us in the summer of 2014 and in that short time has established herself as an integral team contributor. Kirsty loves running with her dog Kingsley and can often be seen encouraging other people on through her own effusive love for running. Kirsty is well know for entering race events to get her 'bling' (medals!!!) and for running several marathons/ultra distance events over a weekend! Kirsty has now completed 300 marathons/ultras including a 100miler event! |
|
Sue Drysdale
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Sue undertook her LiRF training on 1st April 2017 (no joke!) and is a regular at both our Tuesday night and Thursday night training runs. Sue completed our Couch to 5km in 2016 and has become a much loved part of the Medway Fit family. Sue can often be seen encouraging other runners and especially beginners along on their running adventures. Sue is completing her first half marathon on Sunday 12th November 2017. |
|
Buffy Lucy-Jennings
Leader in Running Fitness - LIRF Qualified Buffy is a natural encourager who loves championing people on in their running adventures. Buffy enjoys taking part in 5km parkruns and has visited most of the local ones across Kent as a parkrun tourist. Buffy really likes hills. |
|
Andrew Burgess
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified A “chance” meeting on Bath Spa station in December 1983 saw Andrew taking his first steps towards becoming a runner. A first half marathon and marathon followed in 1984 – followed by a six-year rest. Since his return to running, with a personal worst at the Tunbridge Wells half marathon, Andrew has competed over various distances, and has notched up over 100 half marathons and 10Ks. However, the real turning point came on 10th November 2007, when he discovered the existence of the 100 Marathon Club, and started to wonder… On 27th February 2016, he achieved the distinction of becoming the first man in Medway to complete the feat – and with a gap of over 31 years between number 1 and number 100, was the fourth slowest in the UK to do so (at the time). Since then, Andrew has continued to run marathons, but also enjoys his parkruns, where his favourite role is as a pacer as he enjoys helping others to achieve their goals, and the challenge of running a steady pace to enable them to do so. |
|
Paul Curtis
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Paul has run for more years than he can remember as well as having been a keen cycling time trialist and triathlete. More recently Paul has been competing with some success in flat water kayak racing for the last few years before adding running back into his training. As well as his LIRF qualification Paul completed a Level 2 athletics coaching award 15 years ago. |
|
Kim Harrison
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Kim joined Medway Fit in July 2019 after signing up for her first 5km race at a local nature reserve, Ranscombe Farm. Seeing all the Black and Orange tops of the Medway Fit members there she decided to join. She became a regular member and before long was running further and further booking more races! Her running has gone from strength to strength and she has completed many races on road and trail, OCRs and marathons. Kim has a huge passion for trail running. She loves anything involving mud, hills and the great outdoors. It is her my form of relaxation! She is always on lookout for the next new trail race challenge to enter or planning the route for the next weekend long run (normally ending at a pub for a pint or two and some well-earned food!). She is also a keen CrossFitter and Allotment holder. She has completed her England Athletics Coach in Running Fitness qualification and thoroughly enjoys the role of Run Leader and Coach. Kim enjoys seeing members of the club achieve their own personal running goals and seeing people manage things they never dreamed they could. |
|
Leanne (Lea) Whitehead
Run leader UK Athletics LiRF qualified Guide runner - England Athletics Sight Loss Awareness and Guide Running Lea began running in 2017 and joined Medway Fit in May of the same year after regularly seeing the familiar orange and black kit of Mfit runners on St Mary's Island on a Tuesday night. Lea quickly become a regular at club sessions and met personal running goals with the support of the club. Since joining the club Lea has become a passionate trail runner and has completed several trail adventures with Richard, Zoe and her husband Lee, with the 2022 calendar looking just as exciting as this year's has been. Lea can often be seen having a relaxed social run on a Saturday morning at Great lines parkrun, sometimes with her little Jack Russell, Gizzy, running alongside Zoe and Stella. Lea is a bubbly and enthusiastic personality and those that run with her regularly know she has a rather unique running song!! This year Lea has been able to give back to the club by becoming a LiRF. |
|
Amy Wallington
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Amy started her running journey in January 2016 when she completed a Couch to 5km course. In November 2018, she found Medway Fit and decided to join. Since joining the group, Amy has learnt lots of techniques to improve her running. She runs with Medway Fit on a Tuesday and Thursday night and runs the Great Lines parkrun on Saturdays. She has completed her first marathon this year. . Amy wanted to become a LiRF to give something back to the running community. She has gone from saying: "There is no way I could ever be a runner," to saying: "I can't wait for my next run!" She enjoys seeing other people achieve new PBs and encouraging people up that next hill! Amy runs the club blog. |
|
David Chronnell
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified David joined Cornerstone Fit just before the change to Medway Fit having started running almost by accident in summer 2015. Since then he has developed into a keen parkrunner, has progressed to 10k and enjoys trail running. As Medway Fit has done a lot for David's family including supporting his daughter though her DofE fitness, he is now going to give back by supporting others in the same way. |
|
Laura Liddle
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Laura took part in her first parkrun on her 37th birthday and from then on, running became a regular part of her life. A week after running her first 10k race, Laura was persuaded by a friend to go along to her first MedwayFit session. With the encouragement of the group, leaders and coaches - Laura has since taken part in a few races, including the 2019 Great South Run and a couple of half marathons. She has also discovered a love of muddy trail runs and has set some running ambitions including running her first marathon (Brighton 2022 look out!). Laura loves encouraging runners of all abilities and gained her LiRF qualification in 2021, and she can often be found volunteering at Great Lines and Medway Junior parkruns. |
|
Ian Knight
Coach - UK Athletics CiRF qualified Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Ian started his journey in 2018 by walking 5km every day for a whole year for health benefits. This lead him to find Medway Fit In 2019 and start running. Medway Fit has helped him to acquire and improve his running skill to finish a variety of distances from park runs ,5km,10km and Half Marathons. His goals are to run and finish his first timed Marathon and to use his new Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualification to help others in the Running and Medway Fit community’s to achieve there personal goals. |
|
Phill Parsons
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Phill ran the London Marathon in 2006 on a whim and was very under prepared. He then stopped running until 2014 when he joined Rainham Fun Runners. From there he did his first parkrun in May 2014 and has completed just under 300 parkruns at 40 different locations to date. At parkrun he met many members of Cornerstone Fit and became good friends with them. He then joined Medway fit in 2016 and became a run leader in 2018. Since 2014 he has run numerous 5k, 10k, 10 mile & half marathon races. |
|
Ralph Allison
Run Leader - Uk Athletics LiRF qualified Ralph joined Medway Fit at the start of 2019, having just completed a C25K course, after having said "you'll never see me running"! Frequenting the Great Lines Parkrun, he fell out of running for a while due to a new addition to the family. But since then, he has qualified as a Run Leader to lead organised runs with his work colleagues, but now can also be seen supporting Medway Fitters on Tuesday nights. His goal is to finally run further than 10k, with a half marathon (and maybe even a full one) on the way. |
|
Anthony Jordan
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Guide runner - England Athletics Sight Loss Awareness and Guide Running Anthony is a relatively new runner having joined Medway Fit as part of our Couch to 5km group in 2016. Anthony graduated with flying colours and was soon supporting other newbies on in their own running adventures with his infectious enthusiasm and love for people. Anthony has now pushed on and started training for longer distances and is present at most training runs. |
|
Paul Johnston
Official Photographer Paul is an inaugural member of Medway Fit having been at our very first official training session. Paul is often the first person to arrive at our Thursday night sessions along with all of our training kit in tow! Paul has been known to dress up on occasions and in 2014 was seen running as the Easter Bunny, a snowman and a baby complete with huge diaper safety-pin (not all at the same time!). Paul can be seen at Great Lines parkrun every week helping set-up, clear down, take photos, marshal and any other role that needs to be done, sometimes he also enjoys running it! |
|
Emily Whittingham
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Emily has been running for over ten years but only joined Medway Fit in 2017 after her first marathon and wanting to improve on her time. Consistent, regular training with Medway Fit meant she improved on her marathon time by nearly two hours! Emily qualified as a LiRF in 2021 and looks forward to run leading again once she’s fit enough following the birth of her 4th (and last!) baby. |
|
Lori Bennett-Horsfall
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Biography coming soon |
|
Cassi Picknell
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified I started running at parkrun February 2017 in the snow and ice not knowing if I could run all the way or just to the first corner. I enjoyed the weekly run and joined Medway Fit April 2017 and been coming ever since. Doing parkrun, club runs, and races of 5k/10k/Trails and OCR runs with the biggest achievement of a local half marathon, none of which I would have ever dreamt of before joining the club. The support I have received from those running is amazing, and I enjoy helping others on their journey too. |
|
Toni Bates
Run Leader - UK Athletics LiRF qualified Toni started her running journey in April 2016 when she joined Medway Fit’s Couch 2 5K programme. Since then, she has flourished as a runner! Just a year after she graduated the Medway Fit C25K course, she ran the Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon and has been looking for various running challenges ever since. Toni is a regular parkrunner, having completed 234 parkruns to date. She also enjoys running road races of various distances, including 5km, 10km, 10 miles and half marathons, and also works for one of our favourite race companies, Sporting Events UK. This year, Toni discovered trail running and has found a new love for running in mud! She also took on the huge challenge of Man vs. Mountain this year with a group of friends from Medway Fit and loved it so much that she’s now on the look out for her next crazy challenge! Toni loves to help and encourage others on their running journey and has now joined our group of LiRFs this year. In fact, she is well-known for being one of the chattiest run leaders we have! |
|
Joe Anderson
|
Every single person that runs or trains with Medway Fit makes us who we are!
We're so thankful to each and every one for their own unique contribution in making us such a fun, friendly and family focused group - Well done everyone, you're all awesome!
#fitfitfit
We're so thankful to each and every one for their own unique contribution in making us such a fun, friendly and family focused group - Well done everyone, you're all awesome!
#fitfitfit
