Casual running clubs that give members the chance to exercise and socialise are popping up all over the UK. And each one is developing a style of its own
At just before 9am on a bright April morning in Greenwich, south-east London, runners gather in the shadow of the Cutty Sark. There are just a few at first, then more and more until the group numbers around 40. It’s a little awkward (for a first-timer like me, at least) as we shiver and make small talk. But soon we coalesce to form a big circle and run through a warm-up before doing a gentle 5km around Blackheath – we’ll be installed in a local cafe by 10am.
A version of this scene can be found up and down the country every weekend. Running seems to be more popular than ever – almost 580,000 people applied for this weekend’s London Marathon, an increase of 120,000 on the year before – but recently there has been a boom in casual, community-focused running clubs that organise regular turn-up-and-run events for people looking to supplement their training, meet new friends, or simply get out of the house.
