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17-year-old Aliesha wins the Tour of Tameside

Originally planning to run just one day of the Tour of Tameside, 17-year-old Aliesha Smith has exceeded all expectations after winning the full Tour.

East Cheshire Harriers athlete Aliesha completed all four days of the ultimate running challenge in just 4 hours and 3 minutes, making her the fastest woman on the course.

Battling against some of the most talented runners in the borough, she has amazed the community with her incredible determination and will to succeed.

Speaking on her achievements, Aliesha said a win was never expected.

“It feels amazing to have won the Tour of Tameside, I wasn’t expecting it at all. I hadn’t planned to do the full Tour at the start, I was set to run the X-Trail 10k and the Hyde 7, but after doing so well on day 1 I decided to run the Hell on the Fell too.

“Jigsaw Housing actually paid for my entry for that race which was fantastic. After the Hell on the Fell I was in a really good position, so I decided to run the full Tour.”

The Tour of Tameside takes runners on a gruelling four-day challenge, covering more than 32 miles over various terrains. As part of the race, runners complete the Hero Half Marathon, which happened to be Aliesha’s first time completing this distance.

“From not doing more than 10 miles ever to doing a half marathon, I still can’t believe that I managed to do it. I loved the Hero Half Marathon and I think it was my favourite course.

“It was also the first time I had ever done back-to-back days of racing, so I was really happy with myself,” she said.

This event truly brings out some of the best people within the community, meeting with other runners and sharing their passion of sport is fantastic for athletes.

“I loved meeting other people and having other clubs cheer you on is amazing.

“There was a lot of support on the courses, especially the first and last days and it was great to have that.”

Battling for first place, Aliesha formed a great relationship with Hyde Village Striders runner, Katie Kay, and found the competition to be really motivating.

“Katie helped me up the hills and I remember her helping me last year when I ran just the X-Trail 10k.

“It was great to run with her and she really encouraged me to keep going,” she said.

As one of the youngest people to take on the Tour of Tameside, Aliesha believes that introducing young people to a healthy lifestyle is incredibly important.

Aliesha and dad, Darren Smith, on the Hyde 7 - image by Jon-Paul Kearns.

Working within Active Tameside alongside her college studies, Aliesha has undertaken a lifeguard course and often helps children who need her support.

“I think children and teenagers my age should be involved in sport because it keeps you fit and also fixes so many health issues that can simply be solved by doing a bit of sport.

“I think if you work hard then you can do anything, it doesn’t matter how old you are.”

Looking ahead to future races, Aliesha is looking forward to tackling the Millbrook Monster and Black Knight Charge in July, as well as the Southport 10k in September.

“It will be my first time ever doing the full Millbrook Monster as prior to Covid I was too young to do it.

“I will have just a week between that and the Black Knight but I’m really looking forward to them,” Aliesha says.

As a member of East Cheshire Harriers, Aliesha trains three times a week and is looking to improve her stamina and cover longer distances. She is also keen to focus on some speed work to perfect those sprint finishes.

She recently had a great chance to do this as she stormed down Market Street to conclude the Dr Ron Hyde 7 – even beating her dad!

Aliesha would love to run for England one day, setting her sights on wearing the prestigious England vest.

“It’s been my dream since I was 10 years old to run for England and I hope that I can get there one day. I believe if I work hard for it then hopefully, I will achieve it.”

Aliesha has certainly impressed runners across the borough after her Tour of Tameside achievements. Within this, she has received fantastic support from the Local Runners Podcast, who have agreed to gift her a shirt or vest of her choice.

The 17-year-old superstar has said she can’t wait to complete the Tour again next year, hoping to retain her 1st place title.

Until then, she will continue to work as hard as she can, always striving to improve.

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