A Heanor Running Club stalwart set to celebrate his ten-year anniversary with the club in 2014, Steve Ashmore takes the chair for this week’s Introducing…

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RUNNING? I was always a runner through my secondary school years, although upon leaving I was unaware of the outside world of club running and only ran to keep fit during football off seasons.

WHAT MADE YOU JOIN HEANOR RC? I was jogging in the park doing an off-football season run with a friend and Rob started talking to us about the possibility of doing our runs with the club; several weeks later I’m wearing the yellow and blue in my first race and the rest is history.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE CLUB? 10 years this year I think.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST RUNNING ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE? Probably winning Heanor RC’s most improved runner for 3 consecutive years and of course all my PB’s and team achievements with the club.

FAVOURITE SESSION? 400s and paarlaufs.

INDUSTRIAL ESTATE OR SHIPLEY PARK? The park!

BEST THING ABOUT THE CLUB? Everything from coaching, team spirit and club success.

WORST THING ABOUT HEANOR RC? Hard training ha ha ha.

BEST FRIEND IN THE CLUB? Joe Rainsford.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RACE YOU’VE COMPETED IN? Any relay, a real team event. Personally probably my half marathon PB at Silverstone.

WHY DO YOU RUN? Enjoyment and sense of achievement. Being part of a great club always helps.

FUTURE TARGETS? Following a couple of running years interrupted by weddings, babies and injury niggles the target is to train hard and get back to being the best runner I can be.