Finding the love of running later in life - hear from masters athlete, Huma Rahman
Everyone takes part in running for different reasons, but hopefully the main reason each person laces up and heads outside is for enjoyment. For masters athlete Huma Rahman, she has found her love of running later in life, and grabs every opportunity with both hands to take part and race with friends.
We caught up with Huma at the Manchester Half Marathon to show our support and find out what it means to her to be part of the masters community.
Finding her feet in the sport
The masters community really is sensational with athletes aged 85+ still finding opportunities to wear the red rose and represent their country internationally. The key message from masters athletes is often that life and your competitive running career doesn’t need to stop at 35 when you become a ‘veteran’ and for Huma, it wasn’t until she was 31 that she took her first steps into the sport.
"I started at the age of 31 and I had not run before. A friend of mine said we’re going to run a marathon and I completed my first marathon in ten months. Since then I have not stopped running for 23 years! I love running with my club, Wilmslow Running Club - they’re absolutely fabulous. I love training with them and they always encourage me to get involved and do more."
Setting an example
Not only is Huma an outstanding runner, but she is an excellent role model and advocate for British Pakistani women to get active.
"I’ve absolutely loved today, I really enjoyed it. I was so excited to be running with an England vest on and it is a dream come true. I never thought I would be here. I am so proud as a British Pakistani Muslim woman to be wearing the England vest. I want to encourage other British Pakistani women to get out there. If I can do this at the age of 55 then there are plenty of other young girls out there who can too. Ditch the heels, get on the trainers and there is a lot more that they can achieve."
Being a part of the masters community
When you represent England at a masters race, you don’t just turn up and race alone, you become part of a fantastic team of likeminded athletes - one big family.
"The England Athletics team have been absolutely fabulous. The whole build-up has been magnificent and I have loved every minute of it."