The Southern Services Cross Country League (SSCCL) season for 2021/22 has ended with RAF High Wycombe once again taking top honours by runners from the Women’s team. This is recognition of the consistent team scores where the competitor’s best 6 results are added to create an overall total. RAF High Wycombe runner Sgt Heerey, who is SNCO F Gen and Ops in 11 Gp, was awarded the Veteran Women’s Trophy for her individual scores just ahead of team member Sqn Ldr Johnson who took second spot.
Sgt Heerey re-found her running prowess following her mobilisation as an RAF Auxiliary (now Reserve) in 2003. In fact, it was while training for a 3 Peaks Challenge event in 2006 that she realised she was falling behind on the climbs so decided to do something about it. Her first competitive event was the 13.1-mile Robin Hood Half Marathon in 2008 around Nottingham just before she completed one of several tours to Afghanistan. This eventually set her on track to complete the gruelling Abbot World Marathon Majors.
Anyone who has trained for an event will know how demanding Marathon training is, not just the physical effort but the time it absorbs as you build mileage, even your diet as you get closer to the big day. This extraordinary challenge sees competitors complete 6 full marathons at locations around the world. Sgt Heerey accomplished this between 2011 and 2016. These took her from London to Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York and even Tokyo but her favourite is undoubtedly Boston which she ran in 2013.
Sadly, this was also the year of the bombing at that event, and she vividly remembers having completed her run and queuing to collect her finishers pack when the first explosion occurred less than hundred metres away. Those nearby reassured each other that it was celebratory cannons as part of the finish ceremony, but she had heard enough explosions to know this was different and people were rapidly moved away from the area before a full lockdown. Fellow long-distance runners will know that your equipment is limited to shorts and a vest, so she is eternally grateful to a local shop that allowed her to call home and let at least one person know she was safe. As things started to improve days later, taking a positive view of the tragedy, she was deeply moved by the many messages of support and offers of help that she and her family received. Runners are a community as well as competitors and she attended the memorial service following the event. She was very honoured to be standing near US President Barrack Obama when he visited and gave an address.
Times are your passion when running even short distances and Sgt Heerey was no different setting herself a target of 4 hours to complete each Marathon. To this day she notes that her time in New York was 4 hours and 25 seconds timed on her traditional wristwatch. No Garmin for this runner! In fact, she was so irked that she competed this one again, but illness meant that she again finished just over 4 hours, 1 minute and 56 seconds, after completing 4 of her marathons in just two years she decided to leave it there (at least for now). At the time she completed her 6th event, she entered the ‘Marathon Majors Hall of Fame' as one of only 1,000 people to do so which would be a phenomenal achievement if she’d stopped there.
The committed Sgt has competed in the SSCCL since 2015 and League Secretary Sgt Philips was first to highlight her consistency which has contributed to the Station success in this sport, although her individual achievements include a win at RAF Lyneham and other podium places. She is quick to point out that the circumstance was unusual, but you can’t take away from the fact that also inspires others to run. Many times, she has been told that her efforts have been the kick-start to others taking up the sport and she has recruited 2 runners just in this SSCCL season.
“My first cross-country run since leaving school was at Boscombe Down. Everyone was so friendly and helpful, it wasn’t about speed, it was about taking part and that made me want to come back and do it again”.
Spoken like a true champion.
Squadron Leader A Hall.
