Train station encounter with boy in care inspired 10k challenge

A chance encounter at a train station in Leicestershire inspired a woman to take on a 10k challenge.

Sandra Kinyanjui, a 25-year-old education consultant, was considering taking on a personal challenge when she got talking to a stranger, a boy about 10 years old, on his own at South Wigston Station.

The boy asked Miss Kinyanjui to use her phone to call his children’s home and as she spent an hour waiting with him to be collected she learned about his experiences in care.

She said: “I feel like it was all in God’s plan for me to meet that boy.”

Miss Kinyanjui said the boy reaching out to her for help “pulled on my heartstrings” and led her to choosing to run the Leicester 10k on Sunday to raise money for the Black Care Experience.

She said: “He was just having a really tricky time and it was really quite sad to see.

“I thought this could be my little brother in an alternate universe.

“I’ve heard anecdotally that with the experiences of young black children in care, there’s a disparity there, so then I was like, OK I’m going to find a charity, and the Black Care Experience just sort of stood out.”

Miss Kinyanjui, from Leicester, has been training for about four months to work up to 10k.

She added: “Just knowing that I’m doing it for a good cause is definitely going to keep me going – I’ve got to finish it somehow.”

Miss Kinyanjui is one of thousands of people of all abilities who will be lacing up their running shoes for the annual Leicester 10k on Sunday, organised by Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All.

Starting in Jubilee Square at 09:00 GMT, runners will head through the city centre towards Victoria Park and through the University of Leicester campus before the route takes them back to the starting point.

Affected roads will be closed from as early as 08:15 until 11:30 on Sunday, with parking suspensions in place from 16:00 the day before until 13:00 on the day of the event.

Road closures in the area near Jubilee Square will begin at 05:00 on the day and run until 13:00.

The event will support charities including LAMP (Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project), Leicester City in the Community and the Leicester Tigers Foundation.

Tristan Batley-Kyle, operations director at Run For All, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming participants and spectators to the event.

“Whether participants are running for a charity close to their heart or for their own personal challenge, we hope everyone taking part has a memorable and enjoyable event.”