Community spirit behind boom in running clubs

A county has become one of the UK's running hotspots, with more clubs per head than anywhere in the country.

Figures from England Athletics said Cumbria's run clubs are thriving and there are 46 registered, which is about nine per 100,000 people.

Runners at a regular event at Watchtree Nature Reserve, near Carlisle, said clubs were about socialising and boosting mental health as well as physical wellbeing.

Clubs and development director at England Athletics, Emma Davenport, said she believed the number of people getting involved in clubs was down to the "Cumbria spirit".

Donna was among the runners at the reserve and said she had only been running with a club for seven weeks.

"I'm so pleased that I've done it, I could literally cry," she said.

"When you finish you get an absolutely buzz."

Meanwhile, Nicky said: "It's definitely all about the family and the community around it.

"Also it gives you targets to go for and helps you with mental health as well as your physical health."

Event director for Carlisle Parkrun and member of DH Runners, Lindsey Graham, said the local clubs help improve accessibility to the sport.

"The brilliant thing around Cumbria is there are just so many running clubs that there's something for everybody," she said.

"For me, it's for my mental wellbeing, it's my physical health and it's also about social connection.

"I've made some brilliant friends who have become like running family and you've got something in common, it's non-judgemental and it's really supportive, really motivating."

Emma, from England Athletics, who also lives in Cumbria, said people loved running in the region for two reasons.

"I think there's our landscape, we've got some amazing scenery out there and some great places to go out and run, whether that's on the roads, the trails or the fells," the clubs and development director said.

"Cumbria is quite special for that community spirit."

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