2025 flash quotes

On the race:

“Yes, that was good, it feels so fast compared to a track. I just remember from last year that it's over so quickly and it feels like the 400m-metre marker doesn't feel like a lap of a track, and I just knew as soon as I turned that right corner at the top of the road I needed to push on.

“I used my experience from last year, once you get around this corner first, you've pretty much got it won.”

 What's this event like for you?

“It's quality. I'm from up north and I've come down here to live for eight years and I've only been properly back up north this year. It's a good event, it's exciting and you can test yourself over a road mile as you don't get much chance to do that.”

 Will you go for the hat-trick in 2026?

If the plan is alright then yes, may as well. I'll give it a go.

On the race:

“It was good! I knew there were some quick 800 [metre] girls in there, so it was just about using more of my aerobic fitness. I think I paced it well, I felt it went off fast and then I came back a little bit and pushed on the home straight.

“It goes so much quicker [running on the central London course], I much prefer running like that on the road.”

On the event:

“It’s really good, I loved watching the Superhero Wave earlier!”

On taking part in the Ruth Strauss Foundation Wave: 

“It is great to see so many people out. I saw people running and walking and even a scooter and thought, ‘I could do with one of those!’

“It is so important for the Ruth Strauss Foundation to raise awareness and to get people who are benefitting from the support and care together. 

“The charity was set up in memory of Ruth Strauss, Andrew’s wife, who died of lung cancer as a non-smoker. We are trying to raise money for a cure and to help families through the grief of when they lose one of their parents. 

“It is important to offer support financially and of course emotionally and the charity it is going from strength to strength. It is a great charity and the more support we get the better.” 

On the 2025 Ashes series:

“It’s obviously a very exciting time as a player when you are picked in the squad to go Down Under to try and win the Ashes. It is an incredibly hard Tour but if you look at the squad it is a squad with a great chance. 

“They will need a bit of luck, but you need a batting line-up that can take Australia on and that is how these players bat and for the bowlers - with the pace of [Jofra] Archer, [Mark] Wood and [Gus] Atkinson – they are all around-about getting fit and ready to go. 

“I do think Australia are going to start the series as favourites because the last time we won a Test match there, let alone a series, was in 2010-11. That is the challenge that is ahead of them – if they start well there is no reason they can’t put Australia under pressure or even win.” 

On fundraising for the Ruth Strauss Foundation and running alongside two of his cricket heroes:

“It’s just lovely to be back in the capital, I’ve been on a series of runs for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, I did the London Marathon in April dressed in all the cricket gear, so it is great to be back in London. The support has been awesome around the course. 

“They are my heroes [Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook] in terms of cricketers, so to be able to run alongside them is just fantastic. They have been really supportive of what we’re trying to do with our fundraising. 

“I’ve been doing a challenge where I’ve been trying to run as many different distance events. I’ve done London and Edinburgh Marathons, half marathons, 10 miles, and 10Ks across the country and I finish in three more runs’ time with the Yorkshire Marathon.  

“By the end of that I would have covered the equivalent of just under 14,000 runs. I’ve done that because I want to try and equal Joe Root’s current Test record before he goes out and hopefully scores loads and loads of runs in Australia with the Ashes. 

“I’ve got a fundraising target of ten thousand and we’re on about six-and-a-half thousand at the moment.” 

Jovanna, 26, said: “It was really nice, we were able to run but also walk, which was quite nice, especially with the children.

“The festival is great, it’s my first time coming to one of these as I usually do the 10K runs. So to do something like this where you can try different sports is fun. It is very well organised. We will definitely be back next year.

Sienna, 6, added: “It was cool, I just had fun with my family, I had so much fun. The medal is cool!”

“Being the oldest finisher at the event makes me feel even older. It is such a joy to have everyone together doing the same thing. It is really important to support those who have been bereaved, and I hope people who see this will support. As for what’s next, let’s see! Watch this space.”