37 runners ran 5.5k and shifted 3.5tons of compost

Having met and warmed up briefly in the Arch Gallery, 37 brave runners flooded the streets of bethnal green to work their way through the night to Spitalfields City Farm.

We arrived at the side gate of the farm and split into 3 groups. One team was allocated a pile of tyres to shift, one team started work on moving a compost pile and the third popped out to Allen Gardens for some running technique drills.

Heavy Rubber

The tyre team emptied the tyres of their wheels of earth (they were previously used as planters) and then lifted and carried them to a skip. They made short work of the heavy rubber and joined the compost team.

This crew were forking and shovelling compost from 2 large structures each about 8 feet tall and made from railway sleepers. Tipping compost over the sides, out of the front, any which way, working fast to get it into wheelbarrows as fast as possible. Barrowers ran to the the other end of the site, where barrow emptiers got their work out try to keep up emptying each barrow as it arrived.

Running Form

The 3rd group ran out into Allen Gardens and ran 15sec stints pushing into Gear 5. Each time concentrating on a different aspect of running form. Training to reach community tasks with more efficiency!

The groups switched between jobs and we finished up at the farm having moved all the tyres and about 3.5 tons of compost. Our intrepid leaders showed us back along the planned route, picking through the backstreets and along the canal to finish up our 5.5k round trip.

photos by Richard Foster