The adidas Runners London crew set out to inject some colour into their run every time their feet hit the pavement, spicing up even the dullest of days armed with just a playlist of top tunes and their adidas FWD-01 headphones. Come and meet the team!

“To add colour to my run… It has to be loud music and a good playlist” - Hannah Adam (Captain, adidas Runners London)”

Originally from Scotland, Pilates instructor and adidas Runners London captain, Hannah is on the move from dawn until dusk. She’s been part of adidas Runners London since the very beginning and says being part of the community has changed her life.

Sumrit Singh Mattu is another vibrant adidas Runners London coach, who likens putting on his running kit to putting on a superhero costume. A proud Geordie who’s been living in London since 2009, Sumrit originally joined adidas Runners as a way to meet new people and share stories. If his time with the adidas community was a song, it’d be a cross between ‘Frens’ by Obongjayar and ‘Family’ by Blood Orange and Janet Mock (have a listen at the end of the article). As soon as he puts his headphones on, the city of London is transformed into an urban playground right before his eyes.

Hailing from south east Ireland and growing up on a farm, it’s no wonder that adidas Runners coach, Tomas O’Hanlon craved the outdoors and lush greenery of his youth as soon as he moved to London in 2012. Since joining the adidas Runners London crew in 2016, running has become a necessity in Tomas’ life. By integrating running into his commute, he is able to transition effectively between work and personal time, energising him in the mornings and helping him wind down in the evening. As a coach, Tomas is able to add colour not just to his own life, but to others’ lives as well. The biggest joy for him is to guide people to become fitter and faster and to accomplish things they never dreamed they were capable of.

“Every time I go for a run it’s a mini adventure. That’s what I love so much about running” - Olivia Ross-Hurst (Coach, adidas Runners London)

A native of Hertfordshire, Olivia moved to London in 2013 after working and training overseas as a personal trainer and heptathlete. She’s been with the adidas Runners London crew since its inception in 2016. While she’d always seen herself first and foremost as an athlete in her own right, it was when she turned to coaching through adidas Runners London that she really found her gift of helping others to reach their full fitness potential. She then began studying for a diploma in triathlon coaching and earned a qualification as a UK Athletics Assistant Coach, turning it into a career path for herself by launching her own business. She’s at her brightest and most brilliant when she’s empowering others on their running journeys.

“If I’ve got my blue playlist on, it’s when I’m feeling more calm and I run along the river Thames. I’ve got my red playlist for when I’m feeling passionate and I always hit the track” - Grace Rowland (Coach, adidas Runners London)

Cardiac Physiologist by day and adidas Runners London coach by night, Grace certainly keeps herself on her toes. Whether getting pumped for the day ahead or winding down from a long day at work, she has a colour coordinated playlist for every occasion. When it comes to coaching, Grace’s ethos is to help all runners fall in love with the journey and focus a little less on the destination.

All the adidas Runners London crew are kitted out with adidas FWD-01 headphones, recently launched in fresh new colours; Light Grey and Signal Coral. Check out the video below to see other ways they infuse their workouts with colour.

 

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Follow the adidas Runners London crew on Instagram.

· Hannah Adam @projectpilateshan
· Sumrit Singh Mattu @sum.singh.mattu
· Grace Rowland @gracerunsldn
· Tomas O’Hanlon @tomas_o_h
· Olivia Ross-Hurst @livdmc