HEALTH & WELLNESS
Run Together WHATEVER YOUR TEMPO, THERE’S A GROUP OR EVENT TO INSPIRE YOU Cambridge & Coleridge Athletic Club A group geared towards promoting “community participation in healthy recreation by the provision of facilities for athletics”. It offers free coaching and advice, free indoor training during winter at Cambridge University Sports Centre, plus other perks. Cambridge Hash House Harriers By its own admission, “a drinking club with a running problem”, this group enjoys non-competitive jogs around the countryside, followed by a few beers. The Hash House Harriers meet every Sunday throughout the year, starting at 11am sharp. Cambridge Running Group A group for those of all ages/abilities who wish to get out and enjoy running with others. It caters to everyone, from total beginners to those training for competitive events, and has regular runs on Wednesdays and Sundays. The Green Dragon is a regular meeting point. Let’s Run Girls Cambridge This community of like-minded women welcomes beginners and improvers with open arms. Ideal for those hoping to enjoy a few laughs along their running journey; ten- to 12-week beginner blocks start in January, April and September. Longstanton & Northstowe Limpers Meeting each Monday at 7.30pm on the Northstowe Playing Fields, this group of amateur runners meets to train together in a social environment. All welcome, from first-timers to seasoned pros. Parkrun A global phenomenon that brims with good vibes, Parkrun is a free, timed 5k run which takes place in green spaces around the world. Locally, join the fun at Coldham’s Common, the Wimpole Estate, Fulbourn Hospital and Storey’s Field at Eddington. Sign up at the Parkrun website, secure your barcode and be ready to run at 9am on Saturdays! TTP Cambridge Half Marathon The highlight of the local running calendar, this race offers a beautiful route past famous landmarks. It’s also one of the flattest half marathon courses in the UK – making it great for scoring a PB! The next diary date is 6 March.
riverside 10k or Wednesday 5k session. They don’t have a beginner programme, label anything as intermediate or with a certain pace, nor do they see themselves as a drinking club with a running problem. “That’s the Hash House Harriers,” laughs Chris, proving there’s something for literally everyone. Instead, he describes CRG as “a running, chatting group for those who are already runners”. It surprises me, talking to groups and clubs across the city, how many mention chatting. And I confess to being particularly surprised when Keith Clarke from Cambridge & Coleridge Athletic Club uses the word. They have a reputation for being speedy, after all – member Jonathan Escalante-Phillips won the 2021 Cambridge Half Marathon. But, as Keith explains, the club’s community is built on togetherness, in all its forms: “For some, it’s about training together – that feeling of learning and developing as one. For others, it’s the fun of competing together, in a relay event for example. And some enjoy the communal aspect of simply jogging and conversing along the trails.” THE FINISH LINE For so many of our local groups, running is about community, not competition. Yes, there is an element of the racing mindset, but it’s “a competitive drive to see you achieve”, as Chris from CRG puts it – whether that’s getting faster, going further or running more regularly. It’s the empowering element that LRG’s Dani mentions, and the encouraging vibe of a Parkrun; being generous with advice, experience and voice. It’s about being a community of people who support and encourage each other to put one foot in front of the other. And whether you’re a first timer, old timer, sub three-hour marathoner or chatty jogger – whether you’re four or 84 – Cambridge has an amazing running community, ready and willing to cheer you on.
for joining. Let’s Run Girls, as the name suggests, is aimed at runners who identify as women. Dani Guy was prompted to establish Let’s Run Girls because she’d felt intimidated by the male-dominated running club at university. She wanted a group for women – to empower women to empower themselves. The first Let’s Run Girls appeared in 2016, and began with an initial intake who were tackling the Couch to 5k programme. That was the original concept: get women into running by encouraging and supporting them as they aimed for the 5k mark. “But the first cohort didn’t want to leave!” says Dani. “So, we introduced a ‘keep going’ group and a beginner group.” Five years later, many run leaders of the ten local bands started their active careers by getting off the sofa and joining the LRG community. Each location began organically and operates slightly differently. “They all have their quirks, such as the early Saturday morning start at Sawston,” says Dani. “But their commonality is that they all want to run together, for motivation.” The enjoyment derived from running as one is what fuels Cambridge Running Group, says Chris Pointon. He describes them as “individuals who come together for a great run”, whether that’s a Sunday
GOLD STAR The 2021 Half Marathon winner Jonathan Escalante-Phillips (above centre), and Parkrun volunteers (top)
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