The Brilliant Blue Movement!
We hope you've been enjoying the balmy British weather! As we make our way around the country visiting different group runs, it's fantastic to see so many of you in RunTogether t-shirts (modelled beautifully by our Ambassadors and runners above).
With only a couple of hundred remaining from our first batch, if you haven't got yours yet, we recommend getting your order in quickly to avoid disappointment. To have your group name printed on your t-shirts and to keep prices down, we're asking you as one of our valued Run Leaders, to coordinate the order for your runners - thank you, in advance! Order your t-shirts here
GOTM: RunTogether Highbridge Ladies Running Club
Congratulations to our July Group of the Month! In the words of one of their runners:"Just over 6 weeks ago Emma Wood brought together a group of ladies who couldn't run, we didn't know each other. Last Saturday we completed our first parkrun together. We have formed friendships support each other. Quite simply life changing - love it." Stories like these are the essence of what RunTogether is all about. Creating fun, shared running experiences, helping people achieve their goals and improve their lives through running. You Go Girls! We'd love to hear your group's story. To nominate your group for a visit by the RunTogether team and for Group of the Month, email support@runtogether.co.uk telling us why your group deserves to win.
#EveryMilestoneMatters - Diana's Story...
This month's inspiring #EveryMilestoneMatters story comes from Diana Postle. Diana's journey reminded us that achieving your goals is often not one continuous process as life events mean it is often stop-start, but with supportive RunTogether Groups led by our awesome army of leaders, reaching those milestones is a lot easier.
"Since having been an athlete, in fact a County sprint hurdler back in the '70s, I've tried, over the years, to get fit then keep fit. Obstacles, such as being a single parent meant I couldn’t go back to the track. I tried running on my own many times but it wasn’t until later years when I retired and then moved back to Norwich that I came across group running opportunities.
After caring for my husband until he passed away Christmas 2015 I spent the next 18 months house clearing, I was exhausted. I needed the therapy of running again and suddenly came across Dudley Garner’s new group RunTogether Up The Tempo and signed up for yet another couch to 5k, but this time it was different. Dudley had vision to help at various levels. He saw the need so wanted to continue to help us while doing the course. So instead of doing a second run in the week on our own, he invited us to join his alternative group too.
In addition, Run Leader, Lawrence came along to assist, offering interval run sessions. Being a sprinter, I loved these and quickly gained the confidence to run the 5k parkrun at Eaton Park, Norwich in April in the WV 60-64 age group. Today, having had my birthday yesterday, I moved up into the 65-69 age group and gained a PB!
Thank you RunTogether and a special thank you to Dudley Garner and Lawrence Wade for giving your time to make running available to us all; for making running available to me!
Well done, Diana keep up the fantastic running!
Want to share your milestone? Email support@runtogether.co.uk
Summer of Athletics - Get Involved!
We're so lucky to be playing host to both the World Para Athletics Championships, earlier this month and the IAAF Athletics World Championships, starting this week (4th - 13th August).
We know the Championships will get people thinking about giving running and athletics a try. To help them, why not add one of your sessions to Team Personal Best so that England Athletics and partners can promote your group runs to a new audience during the Champs!
App-Tastic
If you haven't yet downloaded the FREE RunTogether Group Leader app, here are a few great reasons to do so:
- See how many runners are booked on to your session
- Quickly communicate with your runners about any changes to the sessions
- Check in your runners as they arrive (even if you have no mobile signal)
- Access emergency medical & contact details of your runners, in the event you should ever need them
How do I download the app?
For iPhone users (version 5 and above), the app is available from the Apple Store and for Android Users via the App Store or Google Play. Simply search 'RunTogether Group Leader' and tap download.
Don't just take our word for it...
Natalie Sampson, Run Leader for RunTogether Tingley RunFIT in West Yorkshire told us:
"The Run Leader app is amazing. The runner’s book on it so I can see instantly who is coming and plan the run accordingly to make sure everyone gets the most out of the session"
RunTogether in Numbers...
- 1,244 AWESOME RUN LEADERS
- 185,722 GROUP RUNS BOOKED
- 211,532 WEBSITE VISITORS
Looking for Social Inspiration?
If you'd like new content to share on your group's social media pages, why not 'share', 'retweet' or 'regram' from the national RunTogether pages? You'll find inspiring quotes, the latest news, and tips, advice and articles to help you and your runners.
Contact us
We'd love to hear any feedback you have on RunTogether, email support@runtogether.co.uk
Until next month, happy running!