Run Norwich medal surprise for St John’s Cathedral’s finance chair

Stephen Belderbos, Chair of the Finance Committee at St John’s Cathedral, Norwich got a surprise at the end of completing the popular Run Norwich 10k race recently, when he was handed a medal which carried an image of the cathedral on it.

This year’s sold-out race not only saw the highest number of finishers in event history – 6941 – but also two new course records set at the front.

Stephen is a keen runner and has done lots of events from 5k to 10k, to half marathons and to full marathons, including the London Marathon four times – the last in 2014.

“This is the second year that I have done the Norwich 10k. It is a great event and shows the city at its best, with loads of people out to support. A number of us at work (Norwich University of the Arts) decided to run it together. My time was 46:38 this year, which I was pleased with. I did a 10k the weekend before and got dead on 50 minutes, so was hoping for anything in the 40s, so was pleased to get that time.

“I have decided that for 10ks, if I can run ‘under my age’ from now on, then I am doing well (I am now 48 years old).

“When I finished the race someone put the medal on me and I didn’t look at it properly – all I was bothered about was re-fuelling myself. And then when I got home I hung it up and still didn’t look at it properly.

“It was only when Fr Alan Hodgson told me that it had the Cathedral on it, that I went back and looked at it. I was pleased they decided to use the Cathedral’s image, and wish I had clocked it on the day.

As to future races, Stephen said: “I will be doing the London Landmarks half-marathon next April and raising money for Dementia UK (close to my heart).”

https://www.rcdea.org.uk/