The North East athlete who overcame cancer and is now helping others to discover the joy of countryside running. PETER BARRON reports
THE route to rediscovering a love of running has had its obstacles – but Georgie Rutherford is relishing the healthy new chapter in her life.
“I’ve found the joy again and now I want to share it with other people,” says Georgie.
The Darlington mum has certainly encountered highs and lows. An athletics career that took her onto the Olympic pathway, and international success, was followed by a road accident, and then a cancer diagnosis.
But now, having just had the five-year all-clear from cancer, she’s focused on a business – the Long Run Collective – that she’s launched with her sister, Susie, aimed at “supporting the long-term health of everyday people through personalised coaching that helps them to train with confidence and purpose”.
The promotion of trail running in open countryside is a key part of the sisters’ mission – and this month sees the second ‘Tees Trailtastic’ event taking place at Barnard Castle.
“The headteacher we had at our school in Cockerton was passionate about sport, and it became part of our lives,” she recalls.
Having moved on to Hummersknott Academy, she joined Darlington Harriers at 11, specialising in the 800 and 1500 metres.
Her dad, Robin, is well known in the town for his support of grass roots athletics, having served as both chair and president of the Harriers.
By the time she was studying for her A-levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Georgie had been spotted by a British Triathlon talent scout, ending up on the Olympic pathway for a sport comprising a 1.5-mile swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run.
While busily competing in triathlons, she also managed to gain a first-class degree in Sports Education and Management at the University of Bath, and her ambitions took a different direction.
“I really wanted to work in event management at The Olympics, and I suppose it overtook my hunger for competing, even though I was still taking part in events,” she says.
Georgie joined global sports, fashion and events company, IMG, working on high-profile projects, including helping to organise the 2012 Olympic Triathlon in Hyde Park.
While building her career in London, she continued to compete, winning international titles, including the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championships, in which she was required to swim 1.2 miles, cycle 56 miles, and run 13.1 miles.
However, trying to juggle a busy working life with the pressures of athletics proved too much, and she decided to take a five-year sabbatical from work to concentrate on her sport.
She moved to America to train with a professional triathlon squad in California before returning to Darlington to prepare for an Ironman UK event.
That’s when she was hit by a car while cycling back from swimming training at the Dolphin Centre.
She escaped with a labrum tear in her hip and concussion, but the injuries meant she couldn’t compete for a year-and-a-half, resulting in the loss of sponsors and her ranking.
“I was in a lot of pain and just felt completely lost,” she admits.
Eventually, after filling her time by doing some administration work for British Triathlon, she got back to competing but “the love and the appetite had gone”.
Then, in February 2020, just before Covid, a lump on her arm that had initially been dismissed by doctors was diagnosed as stage two melanoma skin cancer.
“I couldn’t believe it, I’d always used suncream, and I was just really angry,” she says.
Georgie underwent surgery to remove the lump and a wider extraction, as well as her lymph nodes. She went on to develop lymphoedema – swelling in the body’s tissues – as a result of not receiving post-surgery monitoring because of Covid.
“It was the scariest time of my life – I was in a lot of pain and we thought I had developed further cancer. There was a lot of confusion and lack of support which made the fear of death very real and I had a lot of health anxiety.
“I was struggling to breathe and, to make it worse, lockdown meant I couldn’t see my family.”
From that low point, Georgie has gradually rebuilt her life with the support of her family, and husband Neil. She’s also become a mum to two-year-old Alfie.
Running the business with Susie has been an important part of the healing process and, having had the five-year all-clear, she’s looking forward to the Tees Trailtastic later this month.
There are two fully-marshalled events to choose from – 3.5 miles and nine miles, both through beautiful woodland on sections of the Teesdale Way, starting and finishing at the TCR Hub, in Barnard Castle.
Recommended Reading
It’s for 17s and over, with an entry fee of £25 for the nine-mile event and £13 for the 3.5-mile trail, with discounted fees of £21 and £9 for UK Athletics members.
Everyone gets a memento, there are spot prizes, and Susie will be leading post-event yoga sessions to wind down.
“We launched the event last year to show people what’s on their doorstep. There are no results – it’s just about being out in the fresh air and enjoying a shared experience,” explains Georgie.
“So many people who’ve had an illness are scared to move – I know because I’ve been there – but this is a great way of rebuilding your confidence.
“My love was taken away from me but now I’ve got it back and I want to help others to find it too.”
