Women’s Only Running Club Awarded Lockdown Activity Hero

I Can Run, a non-profit Community Interest Company based in Suffolk, founded by local runner Emma Talbot, has been awarded the honour of Lockdown Activity Hero by Active Suffolk, just as the club turns four years old on Sunday 13 September.

Set up in 2016, founder Emma Talbot had a vision to create a unique women-only running group that believed all women, regardless of their size, shape, age, ability or background, should have the opportunity to learn to run and to progress with like-minded women.

At the end of July, Active Suffolk launched a campaign inviting people from Suffolk to nominate their Lockdown Activity Hero, giving recognition to those across the county who have gone above and beyond to support people to be active during such unpredictable and challenging times. They recognised I Can Run founder Emma and she was thrilled to receive the news.

“Over the years we have seen well over 1,000 women run through our beginner’s course. I then decided to start the free weekly runs in the autumn of 2016, after we received email after email from women wanting to run with other women safely as the nights were drawing in. Who was I to refuse? That’s when I knew that ‘I Can Run’ could grow and could be available to more women in different towns.”

She added: “It’s been the best thing I have ever done and I’m so proud to have come this far with such an incredible bunch of women supporting me all the way. They’re the true heroes, and it’s fantastic that their hard work has been recognised.”

The team at I Can Run, from the Run Leader volunteers who host the runs and courses, to the behind-the-scenes volunteers, have been busy during lockdown to get the free weekly runs and courses back up and running. This month, I Can Run will launch their Return 2 Running programme with small group-led runs on socially distanced routes, adhering to government guidelines.

Full details of the weekly free runs and beginner’s courses, including locations, dates and times, will be available at: www.icanrunclub.co.uk.

Further announcements will be made on social media with #ICanRunAgain.

Please note this information may change subject to the current COVID-19 pandemic.