Banbury grandmother runs half marathon for ‘Just Stop Oil’

Rachel Payne at the Royal Parks Marathon in London.

A 71-year-old grandmother from Bodicote took on a half marathon to raise awareness to raise awareness of the climate crisis.

Rachel Payne completed the the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London on Sunday 9 October 9, sporting a bright orange tee-shirt with the slogan ‘Just Stop Oil’ emblazoned across the front.

With five children and her five grandchildren under the age of eight to spur her on, Rachel was moved to support the Just Stop Oil movement to ‘secure their liveable future and that of all humanity’.

Rachel said ‘deep change is needed’, adding: “Renewable and sustainable solutions do exist. They just have to be properly funded and scaled up.’

Throughout her gruelling run, Rachel was surprised to receive so many cheers and said: “Someone yelled “Love is action!” I have never, ever had my name called so loudly and so supportively so many times! I think people understand that climate change is here, that it’s happening now and unfolding rapidly, and that we have to do our very best to stop it.”