Our Company Secretary and Accountant, James Bool is in the spotlight this month.
We focus on his true passion and hobby – running.
James started running at the age of 50 with 5k Park Runs. Now at 56, James’ running category is in the 55–59 bracket. We were amazed James had exceeded 100 Park Runs last year.
After joining Great Yarmouth Road Runners in 2017, James was awarded the Gold Standard in 2022.
This standard is the highest the average club runner could obtain. I nearly killed myself achieving this award, running a half-marathon in Bury St Edmunds in 1 hour 36 minutes in late December 2021. It was called Golding Hills and it lived up to its name. I discovered later that I had not needed to run the race as I had already made the standard!
In 2022, James took part in 36 races based mainly in Norfolk, ranging from 5k to 20–mile distances.
Last year saw James finishing third in the 55–59 age category for the Sports Link Grand Prix Series 2022 – in a sequence of established road races of varying distances hosted by Athletics Norfolk-affiliated clubs across the county.
At the Great Yarmouth Road Runners club awards James was awarded ‘Male Runner of the Year’. If that’s not enough, he also took the following categories:
- Men’s Half Marathon Champion Winner
- Men’s 10k Veteran (over 40 years) Champion
- Most Races Run in 2022
‘In 2023, I have scheduled at least 37 races, so I am looking at beating last year’s total. I also run in the East Anglian Cross Country League (EACCL). The races in this league take place through the winter months through Norfolk and Suffolk.’
James is committed in his aims and shows no sign of slowing down the pace. It seems keeping track of stats is certainly a consistent feature in both work and play!
Caption: James Bool steps out of his Boardroom attire and into his running gear with a collection of medals and trophies awarded in 2022. Go James!
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