Hasan Hassan Athlete Ambassador
Hasan is an athlete who has taken on some fun and varied challenges. He talks to Sundried about training and racing.
Have you always been into sport?
I sure have, sport has been at the centre of everything since I was child. I was football and swimming team captain at Primary and early Secondary school. I love all racquet sports including tennis, badminton, squash, and table tennis. I took up running at the end of 2017 and since then I have become quite addicted to it. I ran my first two marathons in 2019, Brighton in April followed by Berlin in September. My favourite distance is a half marathon where I have completed 26 half marathon races.
What made you decide to enter the world of triathlon?
Throughout my life I have enjoyed both cycling and swimming. Now that I have added running to the mix, triathlon was naturally the next progression for me plus I love a new challenge.
What’s been your favourite race to date and why?
Swansea half marathon in June 2018 as the course was flat, fast and scenic. I enjoyed the beautiful vista of Swansea Bay which was one of the most breath-taking views I had ever seen at a race. I got a PB and was back there again in 2019 for another PB. This is my favourite half marathon course which I highly recommend.
And your proudest achievement?
Back in May 2017 I took on the London to Brighton 100km Walk which took me just under 33 hours to complete. This was the toughest challenge of my life as it was hot, and I had blisters from early on, so it quickly became a mental challenge much earlier than I had expected following my months of training. Sheer determination and will power got me to the finish line. I was buzzing and so proud of myself as I put my body through absolute hell, but it was all worth it. Yes, I would do it again.
Have you ever had any racing disasters/your toughest race yet?
My toughest race was running the Berlin marathon in September 2019 as it rained the whole time. Throughout my training months prior to the marathon, the weather was mainly sunny so to go from that to running over 4 hours in rain was not fun. I prefer running in warmer conditions for sure.
How do you overcome setbacks?
By analysing what went wrong exactly. You learn from every setback and it makes you stronger and better prepared next time. We all have setbacks in life which is ok but main thing is how we deal with them and move forward.
What advice do you wish you'd been given before you started competing?
Listen to your body. Rest days are key, our body tells us when it needs to stop so don’t be stubborn and give it a well-deserved rest.
What are your goals?
Main goals for this year are to get a sub 4hr finish at Manchester marathon which I am hoping to achieve in October 2020 if it goes ahead plus my first Ultra which is a 100km run ‘Race to the Stones’.
Who do you take your inspiration from?
My friends inspire me so much. Everyone has a story and hearing these stories and the journeys they have been on is so inspirational.
What do you like about Sundried and what’s your favourite bit of our kit?
I am all about wearing sports clothes of high quality and that is what you get with Sundried. I love the Men’s Ultra Cool T-shirt.
