Hastings athlete Jamie spreads running gospel in Sierra Leone – with help of The Clash

Jamie set up an online running club – JSF Runners – as Joe Strummer, famous frontman of The Clash, was a marathon runner himself.

The Joe Strummer Foundation supports WAYout Arts, a UK charity working in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

WAYout changes the lives of vulnerable and conflict-affected young people through the arts.

They offer training and shelter, make films that can effect change and record music that enables the excluded to re-engage.

They promote artistic freedom, education and empowerment for the most marginalised including in prisons and a psychiatric hospital.

Over the past ten years, the Foundation has provided two studios, a mobile studio and a small studio in the male prison.

After Jamie's last visit to Sierra Leone in 2020, WAYout Street Runners was set up.

Over the past few months members have trained in preparation for the inaugural ‘Run Free(town)’ Marathon.

The charity assisted with a training plan and a small food budget to get them ready.

Around 35 enthusiastic young people showed up at the start line at 7am.

The marathon was organised to raise awareness for WAYout Arts and the work they do for street youth in Freetown and to promote the positive benefits that running can bring whoever and wherever you are.

Jamie quotes world record holder Eliud Kipchoge who says “No human is limited".

Ane he says: "We share the love of running, music and unity whilst showing there are no limits to where our body, heart and passion can take us."

Jamie explains personally the heat and lack of training and conditioning made it quite apparent early he wouldn't make the distance - but to Jamie this didn't matter.

He says "It wasn't about me – it was about the joy and honour of running with these amazing, resilient people, getting to know them, making lasting connections, encouraging them and sharing this special day with them."

The Foundation awarded certificates and medals for all of those who took part and celebrated with them that afternoon.

Jamie recalls the runners smiled the whole time despite being exhausted and explains there are some seriously talented runners in the group, two of whom signed up for the official Freetown Marathon.

The charity has been helping them with a running plan and Jamie hopes to return to do it all again in 2024.

This article was sent to us via a new way for people to contribute articles to our newspapers and website. You can submit items directly into our system. Register and submit at https://submit.nationalworld.com/?ref=SUWD