Last month we were joined by Alex Mitton, a third year Sports Journalism student from the University of Brighton. From parkwalk to Women's Rugby World Cup, with some content for Run's channels in between, check out what Alex made of his experience working in sport...

I’ve always wanted to explore the world of PR. I’ve been working within the journalism industry for over two years, but focusing on PR has always been a goal of mine. 

Having known of Run Communications for some time, and being based in Brighton, enquiring about a week-long placement felt like common sense — it’s fair to say I’m glad I did. 

Throughout the week, I worked on several areas in the company — from press releases and copy to social media plans and research. I’m grateful for it all and feel like I now understand the work of PR agencies to a greater extent. 

When I first arrived, I was quickly thrown into the world of writing copy on ‘parkwalk’, a new initiative from Vitality and parkrun to improve participation numbers across the country.

As someone who has run over 370 parkruns, it seemed like the perfect introduction on my first day. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s the most significant active event set up within the UK since the turn of the millennium — and writing regional copy on ‘parkwalk’ allowed me to hone my skills in adapting pieces depending on the audience. I quickly learnt how strategic every word is within a press release so that it pleases the client and their audience. 

The work on parkrun continued in the second half of the week, as I helped build copy and a media pitch to celebrate the 15th birthday of junior parkrun — another brilliant initiative looking to get children active around the UK.

I also helped Run X with their work preparing for the Rugby Women’s World Cup happening later this year in England. I turned quotes and information from USA and Loughborough Lightning Star Kathryn Treder into a piece promoting the tournament, specifically looking at matches in Northampton. This was published on two National World sites, and it helped me blend my journalistic skills with the world of promotion and PR. 

The Rugby Women’s World Cup has already sold over 275,000 tickets — and working on the upcoming tournament allowed me to understand the true beauty of it. I was given the task of trying to find personal stories for those competing in it. Women’s rugby is a growing sport, and it sometimes lacks information compared to other sports, but I managed to produce several story ideas which can hopefully be used in the coming months to help sell out all eight stadiums. 

Elsewhere, my skills were tested by forming LinkedIn posts, conducting research on the WSL, and building media lists for upcoming events Run are organising. It meant I finished the week more confident in my abilities. 

Working alongside experienced PR professionals gave me an in-depth understanding of the importance of tweaking messages depending on the client, audience and intention. 

It’s why, after a week with Run Communications, I’m eternally grateful to everyone in the office who supported me and gave me tips which I will use in the coming months and years.