Heathfield running club offers support to women members as nights draw in
As the clocks are turned back each October, female members of running clubs take precautions to ensure they can exercise in safety.
Heathfield Runners began supporting the 'Let's Lift the Curfew' campaign on Monday, October 26 at their normal club run, and hope their initiative will ensure that no woman who wants to run needs to feel worried or intimidated.
The idea of this campaign, led by England Athletics and This Girl Can, is to enable women to keep running safely through the winter months.
Heathfield Runners' coach Gilly Nickols said: "When the clocks go back, the darker evenings make going out for a run a little more difficult for women. And research shows that some women stop going altogether. At Heathfield Runners we pride ourselves on creating a supportive environment and a safe and secure group experience."
She continued: "If you normally run alone and would like to join us we would love to run with you. We usually have four different groups, each led by a run leader but we are planning to have two leaders per group. Our groups are organised by distance, going from three to six miles."
They meet at Mill Road Car Park, Heathfield at 6.30pm and ask everyone who wishes to take part to wear hi-viz reflective clothing and carry a torch.
In 2027 the group plans to run a Couch to 5km course and says no previous running experience is needed. England Athletics-qualified run leaders will take everyone from zero to a 5k hero in 10 weeks. They point out that taking on this challenge has health benefits and also helps boost confidence and self-belief. They follow the NHS Couch to 5K programme which involves running three times a week with rest days in between. After the course the final session will be a 5k run along the seafront at Eastbourne.