Why do people join a running club?

I’m no athlete. I’ve spent a large portion of my life running. I ran as a kid, I ran for my school and county at 1500m, I ran as a young man, and then later in life as an unfit, approaching-middle-age but convinced I was still basically fairly fit despite never exercising I took up running again (and nearly died in the attempt!)

I ran alone, but was never lonely – I ran with The Foo Fighters, I ran with Coldplay, with Elbow, with Linkin Park and Muse and Pink Floyd and The Who, and latterly with Tom Williams and Martin Yelling and their excellent Marathon Talk podcast. I ran short, medium and long distances, and I thought I was doing ok. Then I started to realise that I could be sharing this experience with other like-minded people, and I could benefit from meeting other runners – hell, I could possibly even get some coaching. But surely would simply embarrass myself, I wasn’t an athlete. I wasn’t as fast as the members of a running club would be, I’d just get left behind surely? And what if they don’t like me? Well, I could go along and see, and if I don’t like it or I don’t fit in, well I don’t have to keep going do I?

So I joined a local running club, and found that it wasn’t full of athletes, and that I wasn’t the slowest runner, nor was I anything like the fastest. It was just filled with normal people (like me – well, I use the term ‘normal’ loosely in my case). It was nice to share a weekly run with other runners, to talk about running kit, and running issues, and injury worries and try to stay ahead of the group behind or try to catch up with the group ahead. But over time I realised that the club I was a member of was quite political, and had some internal ‘power struggles’, which just detracted from the pleasure of running for me, and when the club moved to a new ‘base’ which made it difficult for me to get to in time after work my attendance quickly dropped off, so I started to look around for a new group to join.

I had two clubs locally, one large and very ‘training’ orientated (which was what I thought I was looking for), and a smaller, more ‘running for pleasure’ club. As I was looking for some coaching to improve my level of running I chose the first option and went for a run with them one evening. I turned up at the club to be met by groups of runners congregating near a clubhouse and running track, was introduced to a few of the club members, and off we went for a run around the local roads. The run was pleasant enough, covering a few miles at a fairly even pace, chatting as we went. I asked questions about the club, about the training on offer, about the facilities and the type of social events the club held, all of which were answered and all of which sounded ideal. We finished the run and I thanked the runners I had spent the last hour with and came home – and never went back. You see, while I was made welcome, I didn’t feel ‘at home’, it didn’t feel like I was ‘right’ with the other runners, so I went to the other club to see if that would be any better. I turned up at 6:15pm the next week and walked into a clubhouse filled with runners, feeling very apprehensive. I was approached by a member of the club who introduced himself, we chatted for a while and then (after a few club announcements) we set off en-masse for a run around the local streets. Again I asked questions about the club, about the training on offer, about the facilities and the type of social events the club held, all of which were answered and all of which sounded ideal. We finished the run and I thanked the runners I had spent the last hour with and came home. The next week I went again, and the next week, and the next. I found a number of runners in the club with similar running goals to myself, at similar levels and started running on the weekends with the club as well. I slowly became a committed member of Sandbach Striders running club.

Over the last few years I have been a member I have worked at my running, both personally and as a club member. I have been both front runner (First Strider home!) and back marker on runs; I have sought advice and guidance and have received excellent input and in many cases company on runs that have moved my running on a level due to the help I have received. I have offered guidance to newer runners who have joined after me and I love being able to put something back into the club. I have met a great group of people who run for any number of reasons – for fitness, to run Ultra-marathons, Marathons, 5K’s and 10K’s, for fun, for training and even for the sheer hell of running laps while eating donuts!

But while I’ve been a member I’ve had some issues – you see I have Cancer. It’s not a big deal, I’ve had it a while, and it’s a very rare, unpredictable and scary type of Cancer, but I’m being treated by Christies who have a team who are some of the best people in the world at treating my particular Cancer and between my running to stay as fit as I can and their care I’m staying ahead of it. And here’s why that’s even of interest in respect of being in a running club – I have a family there.

When I have been in hospital after having had surgery club members have texted me to wish me a speedy recovery, tell me that they’re thinking of me, or to give me some ‘stick’. When I’ve come home to recover I’ve had club members call to visit to see how I am, and how my recovery has been going; and as my recovery has progressed I have had members of the club offer to go with me on the first runs to look after me as I try to return to fitness. When I finally am able to get back to the club and back to running after surgery or chemotherapy I always get a warm welcome back, and it’s like I’ve never been away.

So, once again I find myself recovering from surgery, and once again having to face my demons as I deal with more problems from my Cancer when there’s a knock on my door and a fellow Sandbach Strider calls and hands me a large envelope before leaving after a short chat to get on with his own day. I open the envelope to find an A4 handmade card signed by what seems like half the members of my running club wishing me good wishes for a speedy recovery and offering encouragement regarding my latest diagnosis. It was all I could do to hold back tears. I’m so looking forward to getting back to running, but I’m REALLY looking forward to re-joining my running family. You know, I can’t think why anyone wouldn’t want to join a running club, but then I’m a member of one of the best clubs in the country in my opinion, and I’m no athlete.

Steve T.