Making Mile End more tidy

A hefty team of 26 headed out to the final #BigCleanUp of the current campaign organised by Tower Hamlets Council.

As we're joining in England Athletics #RunAndTalk campaign this week, we opted to litter-pick around Mile End Hospital, one of the borough's most valuable services for mental health.

Task owner Richard met us outside the hospital, and, as usual, provided a very thorough health and safety briefing, and ample litter-picking kit. Before we knew it, the entire team had been dispatched to the area in and around the hospital, and proceeded to fill many large bags in just 45 minutes.

Trash collection became a treasure hunt

As usual there was some good Tower Hamlets treasure: Bryon found a pound, Will found a hub cap, Dave found a...cat. All in a good evening's litter-pick. The runners were very good natured and characteristically patient about picking up hundreds of cigarette butts - a fiddly (thankless) task with a litter-picker. But, as always, no moaning or complaining - just lots of full bags.

A choice of fitness

And then it was 8.05pm and we were gathering to deposit rubbish bags and pose for our final pics. And, what a lovely surprise, when TH Run Leader Will stepped forward to offer an alternative to our planned fitness session, for those wanting a longer run over rainbow side planks in the park. We divided into two teams: one headed back on an additional mileage detour with Will; the other headed with me to Carlton Square Gardens for our serotonin-boosting sweat session which kicked off with squat jacks and ended with skipping lunges. Ouch (in a good way).

Back to base for step-stretching and Kit-Kats

We sped back to base, route navigation salvaged by Si , to join the running squad on the hotel steps for the best calf stretch going. We blitzed hip flexors and hamstrings too, before heading inside to wolf down a Kit-Kat or two, leftover from the pre-run snack stash.

Shout-outs galore

Big GG TH shout-outs tonight to first time GG runners Liam, Marta and Caiti, and to first time Tower Hamlets runners, Julie and Dharmesh (sorry your journey was a pain, Dharmesh - thanks for persevering).

And shout-outs for Leanne, Sarah and Becky for backmarking and Will for leading the running fitness session.

Next week: Farmyard fitness at Stepney City Farm

Next week, we're back at Stepney City Farm, so do come and join us for more farmyard-and-fitness fun and games.

And in the meantime, have a thoroughly fantastic week. See you soon!

Wow, what a night (it's not often I start a report with 'wow'). What can I say? 28 runners, not deterred by a ferocious day's freezing cold rain, gathered eagerly on the Town Hall steps to be briefed about an array of exciting tasks at Stepney City Farm.

First briefing, however, tonight was from the director of our Facebook film crew, who were accompanying us to the task. First instruction of the evening was to request runners keep pace with the rickshaw that would be accompanying us around Victoria Park en route to our task. Just another night out with Tower Hamlets GoodGym.

On arrival at the task, teams divided into four: one large group to shovel, wheel and lay woodchip on the outdoor cafe area; another to sift, stack and generally order piles of material behind the tool shed. A third group therapeutically chopped pallets, while groups four and five were tasked with sterilising children's toys and tying sweet peas in the polytunnel. Despite the fact that our task took in a longer-than-usual, picturesque run, all tasks were accomplished in the usual speedy time thanks to a fast - frenzied some might say - work pace. For the second week on the hop, our task owners literally stood in the farm yard shaking their heads at the speed at which the runners worked. Thanks to Patrick who last week introduced wheelbarrow-running, thereby giving the term 'active recovery' a whole new meaning.

As the sun set, we gathered for our group shot, handing over to Claire our task owner, who expressed her heartfelt thanks on behalf of the farm, relieved that so much had been accomplished ahead of the farm's May Day activities next week.

We ran back to the hotel in two groups, to allow the film crew to catch a few more moments of action with a remaining couple of runners.

A very active, and thoroughly enjoyable night out.

Very, very big thank yous and congratulations

Now. To the thank yous and the congratulations...('thank you' and 'well done' doesn't quite do it justice tonight, but I'll have a go...). Thank you to the whole team for being such fun with the film crew, for running at such a great pace with such big smiles around the park and along the canal. Thank you for never losing sight of our goals for the evening and for picking up the pace in such a way that you got more done than ever, in spite of time running away with us.

Well done, and a big welcome, to our new runners tonight: Sophie, Viola, Lieke and Iain. You sprinted, you squatted, you sawed, you spread...you smiled sweetly for the camera...Amazing first night stuff. Please do come and run again soon.

Thanks to Patrick for giving up his t-shirt; to both Patrick and Becky for helping with return-run decision-making; to Patrick, Leanne and Issmaeel for great mid-task interviews; to Patrick, Chris, Dave and Leanne for leading the group back to base, and thank you to Issmaeel for a lovely run and great company as we headed back to base in our wee team of two.

Thank you to our brilliant multi-task force member, Becky, who greeted our new runners tonight and kept an eye on stats.

And lastly, thank you to Dave and Leanne, for leading the run, back-marking and co-navigating; for being on board with the planning, for what was a complex evening to arrange(!)… for being so un-flappable. And for sending route screenshots on a Sunday. You all absolutely rock.

And I for one can't WAIT to see you all, and do it all, again next week (talking of which, on next week’s run we’re sowing grass seed and gardening at Jesus Green. Not only is this a new task in a really pretty spot, it’s also a Bank Holiday, which means you’ll be well rested. And it’s set to be a warm one. So do come and join in the fun – sign up here).

And lastly, trivia-lovers, we need you. This Sunday evening, celebrate it notbeing a school night by joining us at The Coburn Arms from 7.30pm for drinking and pub quiz-ing. We’d LOVE for you to join in the fun, as we rest our legs and challenge the grey matter, so pop your name down here if you think you might fancy coming and giving it a go.