Running had a profound effect on my own health, both physical & mental, following personal tragedy & Running Woman was founded plain & simply to promote the benefits of running to as many women as possible, that's always been my mission from day one and never changed. Lots of what we do is centred around the belief that we can improve peoples wellbeing and that gives us tremendous amount of reward.
I believe we have always provided the best possible quality & service for fantastic value, we've never forced inclusion of charitable donations in any of our events because we wanted them to remain as accessible as possible to as many people as we possibly could, a price that despite multiple cost increases over the last 18 months, we kept the same by finding efficiencies of scale as we've supported literally tens of thousands of women on their journeys. In fact, with our introduction of multi-events in 2022, we even managed to bring the cost down for our most regular of participants.
We've allowed free deferrals, distance changes & cancellations since we launched virtual runs and that has permitted people to carry, increase or decrease their targets, irrespective of what life may have thrown at them and we all know that life has been somewhat turbulent over the past 2-3 years. It's been such a delight to watch our fantastic community support each other through these challenges, and we've been delighted to be able to satisfy almost every request we've ever received.
Now here for the downside... As a result of our unwavering flexibility, we have over the last 3 years had to write-off tens (and tens) of thousands of pounds in challenges that were retrospectively changed, deferred or cancelled and we have personally borne all of this cost, no matter how much we'd like to, we can sadly not continue to do this any longer while continuing to strive for the best quality & value, and I'm hoping that with changes proposed, we can still maintain our ultimate flexibility, in a more sustainable way by introducing the following changes to 2023 virtual runs.
We will freely allow ANY & ALL changes to your distance including deferrals until the last day of the month ie. If you were aiming to do 100km in Jan but actually achieved 125km, as long as you let us know you want to change by 23:59 on 31st January, we will accommodate it (and applaud you for smashing it!)
Submissions will open on the 1st day of the following month, ie. January runs can be submitted from 1st February.
Once the final numbers are locked down on the last day of the month, we will manufacture our beautiful custom medals just as we have done for years and we will aim to get these despatched at the start of the month after submission. Ie. January events medals will be despatched at the start of March.
We will of course still require evidence of event completion in just the same way as we do today, but, and this is really important, if you do not complete it and have not told us that you'd like to change distances or defer to the following month by the end of the month, we will not be able to do it. We may still be able to get you an event entry for an alternate distance but you will be asked to pay to enter again. We DO NOT want to charge anyone more than absolutely necessary, so please help us out by letting us know.
We hope you all understand the reason for these changes, and as always, we welcome your feedback, RW x
Running has changed my life.
Without it, I’d be stuck at home crying my eyes out.
I’ll never recover from losing my son, but I feel so much better since I’ve had a focus.
It’s helped me to get by.
Matthew passed away in March 2016 shortly after he had been diagnosed with leukaemia.
He was 19.
I miss him, and I think I always will.
My anxiety and depression worsened as a result, and deciding to run was an initial step towards improving my mental health.
That’s how I discovered the Wannabees.
They’re a friendly group in the town where I live that offers you a way to make a start.
I cried before I met them; I didn’t know anybody, and might have talked myself out of it.
Luckily, I didn’t.
Instead, I ran for two miles without stopping on the first night and smiled the whole way around.
The next day, those I met sent me a message to check how I was.
They were strangers then, and now I count them as lifelong friends that I happen to run with every Tuesday night.
I run on my own too because my self-confidence has risen.
The routine might change each week, and I take it day by day depending on how anxious I feel.
But even if I go just a short distance, it helps.
Half an hour later, my mood is lifted.
Running is my thing now; ‘me time’ is wearing my trainers and being on the move.
It has to fit into my schedule, and I’ve probably only missed a single week in the 18 months since I started.
I must say at this point that Running Woman is a huge part of the reason why.
When the pandemic gathered pace, the running club closed.
It’s started up again, but because of the restrictions the group sizes are restricted to six people.
I needed something to keep me going, and when I clicked on the button to join the community I had no idea how transformative it would be.
There are so many words I could use to describe Running Woman; inspiring, encouraging, supportive – the list is a long one.
I draw strength from the stories I read, and I told myself: ‘If they can do it, so can I.’
To see people posting from all over the world is really something, and there’s a lady from Canada – I’ve never met her – who always asks how I am.
It’s so uplifting, and I can’t imagine not being part of the group now.
I’d say the same about running.
It keeps me calm, and I love it.
My husband can’t believe the difference; setting myself goals, and achieving them my running as far as I do.
I’m proud of myself, and I hope Matthew would be too.
It’s his 25th birthday next year, and I’m training for a half-marathon.
He is my inspiration.
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To find out more about the inspiring, encouraging, supportive community Mandy refers to, visit Running Woman community and join our worldwide community of amazing running women.
]]>I feel just a huge sense of gratitude towards running.
And I’ve written as much in my journal.
If the coronavirus pandemic happened last year, when it wasn’t a part of my life, I don’t know if I’d have coped anywhere near as well.
In fact, I’m certain I wouldn’t.
When we were locked down, and able to only go out for exercise once a day, I tried to run the equivalent of a mile around my back garden!
Let me tell you; it was awful.
But that’s what this wonderful activity does to you.
I love to run, and Autumn is my favourite time of year; I head out in a vest at 5am every day before work when the world is still, and I see hardly a soul.
I’m an early morning person anyway, and so it’s a perfect time to be outside.
Being practical, and knowing how my mind works, I want to make every moment count.
That’s why I use the time while I’m moving to order my thoughts and consider what I want to achieve that day.
For me, that’s ideal.
The next morning, I reflect on how it went – whether that’s personally or professionally.
At the weekends, I change that soundtrack and opt for music instead of the chatter.
I didn’t always have it figured out, mind.
When I started, in August 2019, I had no idea whether I’d embrace it, or even be able to run at all.
And, to begin with, I was the worst type of runner; I didn’t even plan a route!
But I’m competitive by nature, and made it my mission to suss it out.
Now, those days feel such a long time ago.
My Strava app tells me that I’ve run 1,200 miles since the turn of the year, including a solo marathon – I blame my son for that, he suggested it!
I’ve also completed a half-marathon distance more than a dozen times.
My only regret is not switching sooner.
Previously, I had lost 10 stone during a two-year period through swimming and boxing, but I yearned to be outside while I exercised.
I also thought that I was too big to run.
Now, after joining the Running Woman community, I can share my journey with kindred spirits.
I can’t tell you the value that brings, to know that there are ladies who are ready to embrace you no matter how small you might feel an achievement is.
They are kind, thoughtful and motivational.
I try to post in the group most days, and if I don’t then people notice. They’ll send a message to ask if I’m ok.
To have made those connections, all of them virtual, is truly a special thing.
I do a challenge every month, like so many others, and nobody cares if it’s for 10km or 200km – or whether you’re fast, or slow – a warm reaction awaits those that make it.
To know that those like-minded souls are out there is another reason to be grateful for running.
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Visit our amazing Running Woman community to share your journey or make some very special connections.
Find out more about Running Woman's virtual runs & challenges if you too want a warm reaction from our fabulous community.
]]>I’m a crier, I admit.
And that’s why I remember the tears of sheer joy when I returned home after completing my first run back.
It was my biggest achievement.
There had been a time when I wondered if I would know that feeling again, as much as I didn’t want to give up.
You see, I’m both stubborn and positive.
Doctors have said those qualities were the fuel for my recovery, and they’re probably right.
In 2016, I was taken ill and admitted to hospital.
During nine weeks there, I had three operations inside four days, lost a kidney, had blood transfusions, developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome and caught pneumonia!
I refer to it now as my ‘drama queen phase’.
Later, I was diagnosed with Lupus - a long-term condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes and tiredness - and began a journey to recover from the trauma.
I had lost weight, while my muscles had weakened to such an extent that I needed the aid of sticks just to walk.
Running had been a part of my life for a decade, and I was determined it would be again.
After all, it’s my thing.
But when I tried, I just couldn’t.
I had to stop, and confront that it might not be possible because my body had been through so much.
It was also adjusting to managing a condition for which there is no cure.
A profound sadness came with that.
I even sold my Garmin watch, trading it for a Fitbit for my dance workouts, which seemed a symbolic moment.
I still missed running though.
It’s my space, a place I go to when I need to think, or sometimes to escape thoughts.
I might be sad, or happy, angry or scared too – like when the coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year.
All of those sensations fade when I run, particularly on my favourite route next to the sea close to where I live.
They’re replaced by a buzz, one I can remember from the very first time I dared try.
I remember it vividly, venturing out one evening with my husband after dark so that none of the neighbours would see.
We can’t have been out much more than 20 minutes, and I jogged between lampposts that acted as markers along the way.
But that was enough to get me hooked – I was glowing!
I had been a swimmer previously, but had wanted to try something else when I felt it wasn’t helping me to lose weight any more.
Running represented a change, although not an activity I thought I’d ever stick to.
But I wanted it back.
So, in 2019, and after several conversations with my consultant who told me to listen to my body, I vowed to try again.
This time, as I described above, I managed it.
After a short while, I eventually completed a 10k, and have fallen in love with it all over again.
And to share that with the Running Woman community has meant the world.
To me, that 10k had seemed like a marathon, and the wave of support I received from the ladies was just so wonderful.
It’s a safe space, without judgement, where you can be vulnerable and share those successes that you’ve enjoyed.
They know how it feels because at least a part of their own journey is similar to yours.
Their running ability is irrelevant; they think like you do.
It’s a place I go to the moment I log into Facebook, just to discover what everybody has been up to.
Oh, and then there’s the bling.
Have you seen those medals?! They alone are a source of motivation to keep going.
I avoid entering races now because I’m unsure from one day to the next how Lupus will affect me.
However, I know what causes a flare up – and what my new limits are – which helps me manage.
Being able to complete a challenge virtually, on my own terms, is perfect.
I’ve undoubtedly changed, shaped by my experience and what I’ve endured, and I’m the person I am today as a result.
I’m happy with that, and appreciative I’m still very much a woman that runs…
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To share your successes in a safe space, without judgement, visit our amazing Running Woman community.
]]>For my birthday in April, I asked for a pair of trainers as a gift.
The reaction, unsurprisingly, was sceptical.
After all, sports gear hadn’t appeared on any previous wish lists!
And yet now, six months on, I’m twitchy if I don’t run.
To even admit as much feels a bit surreal; before, I was a couch potato that didn’t move.
But running has saved me, both physically and mentally.
That might sound dramatic written down, or when other people read it, but it’s true.
I run alone; it’s just better that way because my brain only has to focus on keeping my legs moving.
I try to empty my mind while they do.
It’s like holding your breath for a long time while underwater – the only way to recover is to breathe, releasing the pent-up stress when you come up for air.
I’m quite an addictive person, and that helped at the beginning when – two days after blowing out the candles on my cake – I pressed play on the NHS Couch to 5K podcast.
That first attempt was really hard, and I convinced myself that the next time would be better.
Before I knew it, I was running!
It kind of crept up. I’ve no idea how fast I was going, and it didn’t matter.
I knew my body felt better, and in my mind that encouraged me to keep going.
That’s the polar opposite of the sensations I had known previously, and I like it.
If you’re a Running Woman, then that will make sense.
Receiving the encouragement of other ladies is like having the world’s biggest group of personal cheerleaders.
They keep me pumped up, and that’s its biggest strength.
We all need a space in which to share what we’re up to, no matter what stage of our journey we’re on.
If you need a lift, they’ll supply it. Want to celebrate? They’ll join a party with you.
I can’t tell you how much that means, particularly for somebody like me who has suffered with anxiety and, more recently, depression after my dad passed away, Christmas 2017.In July, to mark his birthday, I raised more than £1,600 after running a total of 50km.
His final trip was from Peterborough City Hospital to Royal Papworth Hospital – a transfer just short of 31 miles.
When I found that out, it seemed meant to be and my challenge, which I called ‘Dad’s last journey’, was to cover the equivalent distance.
The money, which I donated to the Royal Papworth Charity, will help them to continue the ground-breaking work they do every day to save people’s loved ones.
My Running Woman medal for that feat means so much to me.
And I didn’t stop there.
I write this after reaching the finish in my first race, the Running GP at Bedford Autodrome, in October.
My time, 1:18:15, knocked more than 10 minutes of my personal best over 10km!
But that’s not why I felt so emotional at the end.
My nan, dad’s mum, had died a couple of days earlier.
The wave just hit me at the finish line, and caught me off-guard.
There was probably a bit of everything in my mind, not least a sense of relief to have made it.
With 200m left, and noticing I’d split from the pack in front, people started cheering me on.
I didn’t realise it, but among them were three women, none of whom I know, from the Running Woman community.
When I posted a picture in the group afterwards, they recognised my leggings!
I don’t know if I’ll race again – although never say never – but nobody can take away from me that I’ve done it once.
And that’s why I feel sometimes as though I’ve winged it.
I don’t tend to look back too much, and I can’t quite believe what I’ve done.
It doesn’t seem real.
But then I look at my Running Woman medals, each of them a memento reaching a different milestone, and know that I have.
As somebody that never used to get anything for sport at school, they’re precious.
What next? Well, there’s no tread left on those trainers.
I’ll need to fix that.
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Visit our amazing Running Woman community to be part of the worlds biggest group of personal cheerleaders that Sam refers to.
Find out more about Running Woman's virtual runs & challenges if you too want a memento for your achievements.
]]>Is Running Woman a charitable organisation?
To start to answer this, we must first be clear about exactly why Running Woman exists in the first place, we address this on our "About RW" page, our reason for being has never changed. However, in summary, Running Woman was established to promote running because we believe running can change your life! That is it, in it's simplest sense... If you have to have a mission in life, to promote something which can positively change someone else's life, has to just be the most rewarding ambitions out there doesn't it?
So why is that so important to understand as part of the answer to the question of charity?
Well that is to do with accessibility. We want to make as much of what we do, accessible to as many women as practically possible. All our private groups are free to join, we do not check our members have entered or purchased anything, this is not about exclusivity, we are all about inclusivity, we want as many people to be part of our community as possible, whether that be on Facebook or Strava, it is open to any woman, all we ask for in return is as much positivity, compassion, encouragement, inspiration as an individual can give, whatever our community can share that will motivate someone to feel better today than they did yesterday.
This same philosophy is applied to our events, we challenged ourselves to achieve the lowest possible cost we felt we could sustain, in order to fulfil the quality & service we know our community enjoy and receive such reward from. Ideally motivating our members to share their experience with others, in order to spread the love further or repeat it themselves. For the majority of our events, we have set this target at £10 as we feel this makes it one of the lowest cost, best value events out there. The challenge for us is to also ensure that no part of what we do feels like we're one of the cheapest events our there. We genuinely believe we have the best quality, most beautiful finishers medal available (however, we completely acknowledge we're totally biased and have no scientific evidence to substantiate this claim). We absolutely thrive off the feedback we get every single day when our events inspire someone to start, to carry on or to run even more. That is what we are about, that is why we exist and that is makes us jump out of bed in a morning even if we haven't got a run planned.
Every penny more that we charge, is a penny closer to someone having to make a choice between entering or not entering, by now, you can guess what our preference is. So whilst we appreciate that there are many incredibly generous women within our community and beyond, who can afford an extra pound or two and would welcome us including charitable donations within all our event costs, there are some for whom it would mean they could not, and therefore it goes against our primary ambition of making what we do available to as many women as physically and practically possible. For those of you whom it would make no difference, we implore you to give to charity, as we all know, there are many reliant on the amazing generosity of our members.
It genuinely makes us feel terrible when we are openly criticised for not supporting charities with all our events and we have been on occasion compared to events that cost £5 more, but donate £2 to charity, and yet somehow, we are left feeling like the guilty ones. It seems obvious to us that we could do that and be charitable, maybe even be profitable too, however, it is not our primary goal, it's not why we exist and we believe part of the incredible feedback we see daily, is in some degree down to the fact that we remain true to our reason for being.
That said, we are charitable at heart, we have raised thousands of pounds both personally and professionally, and will continue to do so, we have collaborated and will continue to collaborate with charities where we are not simply taking our community members money and forwarding it to a charity, but we are contributing our own money too, and where we do this we will be really clear about how much will be going to charity for each entry.
We are also actively looking at ways we can make donations optional with every entry or purchase, maintaining low cost of entry for everyone, but for those who can afford to donate, making that option available.
As always, love to you all, we hope this goes some way to helping anyone with a question, to understand why we take the approach we do, but if you have any questions, comments, ideas of how we can strike the perfect balance, please let us know, RW x
]]>When you've got a website all about running women... Which means it's home to lots of fast ladies who'd rather be pounding the pavements than hanging around, it goes without saying we really had to have a website that was both mobile enough to take to the road and... well... Fast.
]]>When you've got a website all about running women... Which means it's home to lots of fast ladies who'd rather be pounding the pavements than hanging around, it goes without saying we really had to have a website that was both mobile enough to take to the road and... well... Fast.
Today we're super pleased to announce that hopefully with a minimal amount of disruption, just in time to open March submissions, we've launched our new website. And whilst not as exciting as creating gorgeous running products, whether that's event medal, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, socks or anything else that we can dream of, we've now got so many amazing women joining our community, we want to make sure every aspect of it is as good as it can be.
We've listened to feedback from our community and we absolutely love the shiny new home of RunningWoman.com, it's all designed to finger and thumb friendly, but as always, we'd love your feedback, everything we've done so far, you've helped us make it even better. We look forward to hearing your thoughts, RW x
]]>We were excited when we first thought about launching our very own virtual events... We were excited when we looked at the initial concepts for the events... We were excited when we actually launched our first round of events in January... And today, we as excited as we've ever been to be preparing our beautiful bling ready for despatch over the coming weeks.
]]>
We were excited when we looked at the initial concepts for the events...
We were excited when we actually launched our first round of events in January...
And today, we are as excited as we've ever been to be preparing our beautiful bling ready for despatch over the coming weeks.
That said, what's the most exciting part of this whole activity, is the conversations we've been having with you running women... The stories we've been told, the drive you've shown, the motivational and inspirational approaches and reasons for running are out of this world. Hats off to every single one of you who have taken part, we look forward to welcoming more in the months to come.
RW x
]]>These are time limited, we are firm believers in not leaving challenges open ended, we want people motivated to complete the challenge within the timeframe but all the details will be available against the individual run or challenge.
We look forward to hearing from you and seeing how you get on, RW x
]]>Well done to everyone who took part, if we could give everyone a pair we would because we think they are all gorgeous, but sadly, we can't. There can be only one winner again this weekend, however as you know we like a bit of fun, we'll be playing again soon.
In the meantime, if you want to know why we love these laces read about our FastenFlex laces, and if you want to check out our other beautiful colours, take a look at our full range.
We hope you've had a wonderful weekend and got chance to enjoy the same beautiful weather we did. RW x
]]>Just because we were super excited about this, we decided to try and make it a little more interesting than just posting the winners name in the comments... Well done to everyone who took part, if we could give everyone a pair we would because we think they are all gorgeous, but sadly, we can't. There can be only one winner (this weekend), but as we like a game we'll be playing again soon.
In the meantime, if you want to know why we love these laces read about our FastenFlex laces, and if you want to check out our other beautiful colours, take a look at our full range.
We hope you're having a wonderful weekend and are seeing the same beautiful weather we are. RW x
]]>Thanks from us to you. RW x
We're ecstatic we have such a wonderful group of running women!
]]>We're ecstatic we have such a wonderful group of running women!
#RunningWoman #5km Next stop 10k... It must get easier, right? #RunHard #RunStrong #RunHappy
]]>We're tremendously excited by all the positive feedback we've had everywhere we've popped up. Long may it continue and we hope you'll join in with us on our journey.
Lots of love, RW x
]]>Enjoy Running Woman Chat and join in now!
]]>Join our new Running Woman Club on Strava where you can show us your ACTION, and smash your GOAL! Join us now here: strava.com/clubs/runningwoman
]]>Running Woman founder, Sarah Gibbs
Featured in article by Mum's in the Know April 2016
We hear from the inspirational mum of 6, Sarah Gibbs, on how running helped her through the most devastating tragedy.
As an incredibly busy mother of 6 with all the stresses of life that go hand in hand, it’s fair to say I had very little “me time”. When the youngest of my bunch finally hit pre-school age, I acquired something which I hadn’t had for the best part of a decade… Some time to myself! Yet for some reason, my life didn’t seem any less manic, in fact, it seemed to be one long count down from drop off to collection. I had to dedicate just a small portion of my days to me for my own sanity. My outlet was running, but to explain why I went for sport rather than some well deserved retail therapy or tea mornings with the other wonderful mums I know, I have to go back about a decade.
Back in late 2003, I was faced with the most devastating tragedy I’ve ever had to overcome (and hopefully it will remain the worst I will ever experience in my lifetime). My beautiful 10 day old baby boy, died suddenly and wholly unexpectedly. From that day on, I suffered from quite severe anxiety / panic attacks. I’d been to see doctors, therapists, hypnotists to try and alleviate the helpless panic these attacks would send me into. In retrospect, one of the most useful pieces of advice I was given was to start doing some exercise to burn off the adrenaline.
Fast forward to 2014, youngest in pre-school, me with some modicum of “spare time” but still suffering from anxiety, I remembered the advice I had been given years before. I found the local women’s running group that some of the mothers had mentioned at school and that’s where it started… Very quickly I began to appreciate that, whether as a group or alone, being out there on the road, with the fresh & often freezing cold air around me, made me feel wonderful. It gave me the head space and time I needed to balance myself out and face the busyness of my parental life.
From my introduction to running less that 2 years ago, I am now an athletics coach for the local running club, a competitor for the seniors’ section, I’ve completed countless 10km’s, 5 half marathons (plus one Tough Mudder) and 1 marathon, with my second planned being London marathon 2016. I feel like a different person to the one I was 2 years ago. I’ve also been fortunate enough to repay some of the kindness shown to me many years prior by the lullaby trust (previously known as The Foundation for the Study of Sudden Infant Death) through sponsorship and charitable donations for a number of the events and challenges I’ve faced. Although this year my chosen charity for the London Marathon will be Asthma Uk.
I feel particularly fortunate that I can now look back 12 years later, on what was a horrific set of circumstances and all the worry it induced with all of my next 3 children, to see 5 healthy beautiful children as a mother with all my faculties intact. I have a number of special people to thank on my journey, my running buddies, Karen & Kathryn and most importantly my wonderfully supportive husband
Running Woman founder, Sarah Gibbs
Featured in article by Newsquest (North West) in January 2016
A MUM-of-five who started running as therapy after she lost her baby son to cot death is now urging people to channel disco fever to help with her marathon fundraising.
Leftwich woman Sarah Gibbs is tackling the London Marathon in April in aid of Asthma UK and is holding a fundraiser at Davenham Cricket Club in March to help reach her £2,000 target.
Sarah, who coaches at Vale Royal Athletics Club, works at Cheshire Bar and Grill and is also one of the organisers of Davenham Carnival, only starting running two years ago but said it has changed her life.
"I started suffering from bad panic attacks after losing my son to cot death 12 years ago," she said.
"Anxiety and depression stayed with me until I took up running two years ago and it has really turned my life around."
She runs with her friends Kathryn Porter, a mum-of-three, and Karen Murray, a mum-of-two, who are also taking part in this year's London Marathon.
"It's like therapy for us," Sarah said.
"We watch the seasons throughout the year, last winter it was like Narnia running down the river, it was beautiful, quite cathartic.
"The three of us have got such a tight bond, I couldn't have done anything of what I've done without those two."
Sarah, who coaches under 11s at Vale Royal Athletics Club three times a week, has taken part in a number of races and events in the past two years.
These include the Manchester 10k, Warrington EHM, Conway Half Marathon, Anglesey Half Marathon, Tough Mudder, Race for Life, Montane 13, Liverpool Half Marathon, Asics Manchester Marathon, Helsby Half Marathon and the Cheshire Cross Country Championships.
She is running the London Marathon in aid of Asthma UK after seeing the impact of the condition on childhood friend Nicola Williams
.