Teenage runner Paige Quinn uses musical talent to fund sporting dream
The 15-year-old impressed after victory in the English National Cross Country Championships but is also making a name for herself as a singer and songwriter
Paige Quinn is quickly emerging as a talent to watch this winter after her under-15 victory in the English National Cross Country Championships in September.
The 15-year-old’s abilities aren’t confined to sport, though. In addition to her running, Quinn is a budding musician. She writes and performs her own songs, which she shares on Spotify, while also busking in her hometown of Torbay to help fund her fledgling athletics career.
After a challenging three-month injury hiatus over the summer, Quinn made a triumphant return to competition, clocking an impressive 16:31 at the Mid Cheshire 5km in late August, a time that ranks her second on the UK all-time list for under-15 girls.
A remarkable parkrun, with 16:48 at the Torbay Velopark event, has also earned her the title of fastest-ever under-15 girl in parkrun history. She now has her sights on the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya this December, where she will aim to make her mark in the U20 category.
Paige Quinn
How did you first get into athletics?
I used to play a lot of football with my sister. She played for a team but I wasn’t old enough at the time, so I just went along to training sessions with her. I wasn’t very good, but I was a bit of a nuisance just running up and down the pitch.
My dad noticed my energy levels and how I wouldn’t stop running so he introduced me to parkruns and I started doing them regularly. After that he searched for a local athletics club and signed me up to Torbay AC at nine years old.
How did it feel to win the National Cross Country Championships?
I really wasn’t expecting it because I was injured for a lot of the track season this year with a knee injury. I missed out on a lot of competitions such as the School Games and I didn’t get much training in, either.
I think the nationals being rescheduled worked in my favour because I wasn’t ready to win it last year. I don’t really get out well on races, but I just went out trying to stick with the front pack and to overtake if I could. I was shocked when I got first place as I’m not used to leading a race, so it felt amazing going into that last stretch.
Did you expect to run a 16:31 PB in the 5km this year?
After my injury I didn’t really have much time to train so I was just racing for fitness. I did about three track races in the same week and a few 5km road races. I wasn’t really happy with my performance on them.
But it was amazing when I got 16:31. I wasn’t really expecting that, but I think it helped that I was in a race with a lot of athletes.
The first kilometre was around 3:05 and I couldn’t slow down. Due to the quick runners behind me, I would have been stampeded on. I didn’t know about the time until my dad let me know after I finished. I was shocked because I beat my personal best by about 20 seconds.
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What are your other interests outside of running?
I go busking sometimes in the summer to fund the costs of travelling for races and kit. I’ve written a few songs with my dad, and I have a few on Spotify which were produced by my friend Tom Ward.
It was a hobby I started a few years ago and then I got competitive with running and realised how expensive it is so I thought busking could be a good idea. I started to learn guitar from there, and I taught myself on YouTube.
What are your next steps?
I would like to get selected this year for the European Cross Country Championships as an under-20. Obviously, it will be a challenge because I am only in the under-17 age group [in the trials in Liverpool on November 23] but that would be amazing. I would also love to do well in the British Cross Challenge.
I’d love to get some personal bests in the 1500m and 3000m next year on the track, too, if I’m not injured.
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What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
Listen to your body. With all the injuries I’ve had, I think I was so young and eager to please and impress people that I just ran through the pain. If I had a slight niggle, I would make it worse by running through it. I should have listened to my body, but I know that now.
» This is a feature that appears in the November issue of AW magazine, Subscribe to AW magazine here, check out our new podcast here or sign up to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here
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