Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, was photographed jogging on Friday morning shortly after announcing his intention to run for parliament. The 56-year-old, wearing a 1979-80 Everton strip, was captured by a throng of photographers, with images quickly dominating major news sites. The Times declared: 'Burnham off to a running start.'
Burnham is a regular runner who completed the Boston marathon in aid of victims of the Manchester Arena bombing. However, he is the latest in a long line of politicians to use jogging as a visual metaphor for energy and ambition. Tony Blair famously ran for Sport Relief in 2006, stating: 'I couldn't do this job unless I kept a certain level of physical fitness.'
Gordon Brown was photographed jogging in a London park in 2009, though a Downing Street spokesperson insisted: 'We didn't set it up.' David Cameron led his security detail on twice-weekly runs around London parks, describing himself as 'just another middle-aged, slightly overweight jogger trotting past.'
Michael Gove was frequently pictured jogging as his prime ministerial ambitions sharpened, while Boris Johnson dressed in brightly patterned Bermuda shorts, beanie hats, and even dress shoes. Liz Truss was said to enjoy early morning circuits of Lambeth Palace grounds, inviting key advisers on runs that were 'coveted and feared in equal measure.'
Not all politicians embrace jogging. Theresa May preferred walking holidays, Kemi Badenoch favours the gym, and Keir Starmer continues to play weekly five-a-side football. 'Unless I'm irreparably injured, I intend to do it for as long as I possibly can,' the Prime Minister has said.
