Olympian Laura helps to launch fitness scheme

The 26-year-old was at Hipsburn Primary School, as DW Fitness First launched The School Run in the county.

More than 140 parents and children from the school took part in a run, accompanied by the talented middle-distance star.

Weightman, who won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal in April, said: “It is great to be back here at my old school and it was brilliant to see the kids running.”

Weightman is preparing for this weekend’s British Championships, in Birmingham, where she will compete for the prestigious honour of being crowned British Champion, as well as book her place on the British Athletics team for the European Athletics Championships, which take place in Berlin, Germany, in August.

She said: “It has been a good year for me. My next target is qualifying for the European Championships, so hopefully I will secure my place at the British Championships.”

The School Run, launched by gym operator and sports retailer DW Fitness First, in partnership with the UK’s four national governing bodies for athletics and running (England Athletics, Scottish Athletics, Athletics Northern Ireland and Welsh Athletics), is encouraging parents to get active with their children, after research revealed that people lose hours of exercise a week once they become parents.

Fronted by famous family Una and Ben Foden, as part of the campaign, DW Fitness First also launched a new family fitness guide, with a selection of exercise routines designed to keep kids entertained and get the whole family moving in sync.

The carefully-devised exercise plan is specifically aimed at helping time-poor parents combine workouts with their everyday routine, turning the school run into an enjoyable family training session.

The School Run campaign and exercise plan complements DW Fitness First’s vision to create an active nation and provides encouragement to both sporty parents and those just looking to move a little more.

Aiming to create an ecosystem of exercise, DW Fitness First is now the official retail and fitness partner of the UK’s four National Governing Bodies of athletics and running.

With the primary focus of running, DW Fitness First is working with top running athletes and has become the lead partner of RunTogether, Jog Scotland and Run Wales, successfully motivating thousands of new and enthusiastic runners to join their local running group.

Lee Pinnington, DW Fitness First marketing director, said: “Juggling parenthood with keeping the whole family fit and healthy is tough.

“So, we are delighted to team up with the UK’s four national governing bodies of athletics and running to motivate parents get back on track and support them on their exercise journey. Families that run together, stay fit together.”

Matt Birkett, head of athletics and running at England Athletics, said: “We are delighted to work with DW Fitness First to encourage more families to be active together.

“The School Run initiative builds upon our partnership with DW Fitness First and the foundations already laid through our recreational RunTogether groups, which, since its conception in January 2017, has already inspired nearly 70,000 people to take part in running.

“We hope the new School Run initiative will inspire many more adults and children to become more active.

For more information, or to receive a 20 per cent off discount on kit from DW Sports to help parents and kids stay motivated, visit www.dwfitnessfirst.com/schoolrun