Tom Green’s on a mission to run a 10K in every city in England – our Hull 10K is number 31!

Since 2019, Tom Green has been chipping away at an ambitious personal project to run a 10K race in every city in England. The Hull 10K on Sunday 12^th June is set to be race number 31, and he’s been having an amazing time exploring the country, achieving new personal bests, and challenging himself in ways he once would never have thought possible.

Tom’s in great shape now, but until around seven years ago he really struggled with his weight. Shortly after he began his weight loss journey, his brother asked him to run a 10K in Liverpool with him. He was hesitant at first, but was surprised to find that he had a great time and wanted to do it again!

When searching for his next race, he booked one in Newcastle without realising how far away it was from his home in Preston. However, he enjoyed travelling up and running the event, so he decided to challenge himself to do all the cities in England.

He’s having a great time – “I love the atmosphere. I’m the kind of person who thrives on that kind of team atmosphere. And it’s nice to get out there and get moving when most people are asleep.” From the city streets of Leeds to the coastal town of Lytham St Annes, Tom’s had an amazing time touring the country on foot over the last few years.

Not only has he seen some stunning scenery, but he’s also made some massive improvements to his fitness. When he started with a running group recently, there was someone there he’d gone to primary school with who didn’t even recognise him for the first several months of running together, as he looks so different to how he did when they were younger. At a race recently, he was introduced to other participants as “one of the proper runners” – “that was kind of empowering,” he says.

Achieving his first sub-60 minute 10K in Chester was definitely a proud moment for Tom, although the times aren’t really the main focus for him – he’s quite happy running in the middle of the pack. “The best way to challenge myself is with frequency, and doing what I can do as well as I can.”

Even though he’s on track to complete the challenge, it hasn’t always been easy. The lockdown meant that a lot of his early races were postponed, and he struggled with things like parkrun being off the table during that time. He finds it far more motivating to run with a group of people, so that period was quite tough for him. He also broke his hand, but he didn’t let that stop him from running. His doctor recommended he wear a sling for a race in Preston, which he did for the first little bit, but then he “took it off, threw it away, and just legged it,” he laughs.

Tom’s a high school maths teacher, so it’s not surprising that he’s worked out some of the key figures for his project. He’s expecting to drive a total of around 16,000 miles to make it to all his races, which is likely to cost him around £2,500 in fuel, plus a bit more for race entry. However, he’s sure it’s worth it.

Favourite events so far have included the Leeds 10K, which was “really well-organised”, and those in historic locations like Winchester and Cambridge. He’s looking forward to Milton Keynes, as he’s got family in that area and says “I’ve heard the York 10K is really nice.” He’s also looking forward to heading down to Truro, in Cornwall, because “if my geography’s correct, I actually live closer to France.”

There are currently 52 cities in England, and Tom expects to have ticked off 45 by the end of the year. However, with new cities added to the official list every 10 years, he points out that he’ll never really finish this challenge. “I’ll probably be doing it into my 90s,” he laughs. But when he finishes the existing 51, he plans to have a low-key celebration with family. “I might have a nice meal…or just sleep for 1000 years!”