British mum sets buggy 10km run world record in France
A British woman living in Toulouse is being hailed as the fastest mother in the world after beating the previous record by nearly a minute
Sally Onn, 37, ran the distance pushing daughter Elodie in 41.33 minutes, beating the previous record for running 10km while pushing a buggy with a child by 59 seconds.
She was a keen runner when she moved to France with her husband Chris in 2012, and often ran up to 100km a week.
In France, she started a family and took a break from the sport until her third child was six months old: “The first time we went out together, I couldn’t even jog for 30 minutes without stopping, but I stuck at it and soon improved.
“I then heard about the Guinness world records for various distances with single, double or even triple pushchairs and I started to dream that maybe I could break one of these records.
“By the time I was ready, Elodie was nearly three.”
Then lockdown arrived and racing events were cancelled. There was a short window of opportunity in the autumn and in October she heard about a 10km race about an hour-and-a-half from her home.
“There was torrential rain for the race and the wind was so strong at the finish that the timekeeper’s tent nearly took off.
“Luckily, the rain cover for the pushchair is excellent, so Elodie was dry. She weighed 13kg and the pushchair about 14kg, so I was pushing nearly half my own bodyweight, but my legs felt good and I really enjoyed myself. The hardest parts were the two uphill sections and crossing the cobblestone bridge. But when I crossed the finish line, absolutely soaked to the bones, I was completely thrilled.”
After the race, she had to send in several documents and a video of the event and there was a 10-week wait before her record was validated.
“It really means a lot to me. There are Guinness world records for men pushing buggies, but it is just not the same challenge because they have not been through childbirth three times, as I have.
“It was also amazing to be able to do something for myself. I have now joined the Blagnac athletics club and it is great to be able to meet up and make friends with local French people who share my passion.
“My oldest daughter, Olivia, aged seven, has just joined the children’s section and she is loving it too.”
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