Celebrating International Women’s Day with Blister Sisters!

International Women’s Day is the perfect time to pause, reflect and celebrate the incredible women in the running community (and in our lives!).

To mark the occasion, we caught up with Blister Sisters’ Run Leader Kenza Bowman in an exclusive interview. Here we found out more about the women’s running group and how they empower the women in their community.

Looking for a women’s running group near you? Or perhaps a mixed running group in Hythe or the surrounding areas? Find a group run near you with RunTogether.

Tell us a bit about your RunTogether group?

“The aim of our group is to break down the barriers for women to be able to run. Some women may be deterred from a mixed group due to feeling uncomfortable or intimidated by male runners, so we have created a safe space for women to come along and feel relaxed in the company of other women. If there is one less thing for people to worry about then they are more likely to come along and give it a go!”

As a Run Leader, how do you empower the women in your group?

“I always offer support and encouragement to all levels of runners, making sure beginners don’t feel they are holding people back. It is important to make sure everyone feels included.

"We design sessions that ensure the group starts and finishes together allowing the more experienced runners to push on with their run by adding in an extra lap for example. By warming up and cooling down together, there is no distinction between abilities, and everyone can come together and support each other.”

Do you have any outreach ideas to encourage women to join Blister Sisters, or other women’s running groups?

“Our motto is no one is ever left behind and we are always keen to reassure women who are new to running. Our role as Run Leaders is to support our runners and keeping at the back of the pack with beginners is never a problem – that is what we are here for!

"Running groups can often feel intimidating however I have never met a Run Leader who wasn’t passionate about encouraging others. Every runner at every group will have had a ‘week 1’ and was also no doubt just as nervous as you, but the fact they keep coming back suggests that it must be a pretty friendly environment to run in!”

What has been your biggest RunTogether highlight so far?

“My biggest highlight is not only meeting new people and making friends, but also seeing runners who have met through the running group become great friends outside of our sessions. We will be ten years old this year, and knowing that we have helped hundreds of women give running a try during that time is amazing!”

Do you have a story to tell?

Here at RunTogether, we love to hear all about your RunTogether stories. Whether you’re running a women’s running group near you, or you’re a beginner, we love to share these with our fantastic community. If you would like to share your story or journey, send us an email to hello@englandathletics.org.