Meet Charlie From England!
For Global Running Day, we are celebrating runners from all over the globe! Follow the stories on our Instagram page.
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Charlie Watson is from London, England, and we asked her a few questions about running:
Why do you run?
I started running in memory of my friend Vic, who sadly took his life after suffering with depression. I keep running to keep my own mental anxieties at bay; it gives me space to breathe, keeps me calm and gives me non-work-related goals to challenge myself.
Describe your favorite place to run.
My favourite place to run is along the River Thames in London. It changes so much with the seasons but is always so peaceful—no stop lights—and first thing in the morning it is full of friendly runners, cyclists and rowers. You can easily add mileage without having to pre-plan a route—just add another bridge!
What’s your go-to pre- or post-run meal?
Post-run meal is a burger—after running the New York City Marathon in 2013, my goal was to eat as many of the top-10 burgers in the city. I managed five in the three days post-marathon!
What makes you a badass?
I signed up to run the London Marathon in 2012 with no idea how far a marathon was, and I was overweight, unhealthy and a smoker. I wanted to do something positive for Vic. I’ve since run five marathons, thousands of miles and inspired others that they too can start running! My blog, which I started as a way to document my first marathon training, just got voted the best running blog in the UK!
How will you celebrate Global Running Day?
I’ll be celebrating by leading a local run club for beginner and intermediate runners—I love seeing how much people progress week on week!
Read all of our Global Running Day stories from runners all over the world here.