Running is often considered a solitary pursuit, especially for those in search of a personal best. But not for this year's Standard Chartered Half Marathon runner-up, Jane Hodgskin.
Together with running partner Charlotte Cutler, Hodgskin, 30, organises the weekly "Tuesday Track" - a high-intensity, high-speed running session at the Aberdeen track for aspiring running elite and rookies alike. Sharing her passion has been the secret to her success.
It began six years ago when Hodgskin ran her first race in Hong Kong. She nervously noted the willowy, fit-looking Cutler to her right. The gun went off and the pair battled it out stride for stride until the five kilometre-mark, where Cutler "blew me away", she says. The pair reunited at the finish and have been training partners - and best of friends - since.
Others soon joined their weekly training sessions. As word spread among the running community, the numbers doubled, then tripled. Up to 60 runners now join the free session each week.
"I believe you should never have to pay to run," says Hodgskin, the communications adviser for Asia at Linklaters. "[The group] helps me as well. I have so many people to push me along. When you're training for a race, you can let it consume you, but you have to keep a balance and not get carried away by it."
Growing up, Hodgskin was a competitive swimmer and triathlete (at 16, she won a bronze medal at the Australian Junior Championships). Her father, an accomplished runner, would encourage her, although she didn't start running seriously until leaving school.