More Than the Miles

What running — and finding a running community — gives me

Running has become one of those things in my life that gives me far more than I ever expect from it. On the surface, it is simple: put on a pair of trainers, get out of the door and put one foot in front of the other. But for me, it has become about much more than the miles.

Working in education is hugely rewarding, but it can also be all-consuming. There is always something else that could be done, someone who needs your time, another conversation to have or another problem to solve. It is very easy for the working day to follow you home, even when you have physically left the building. Running gives me a bit of space from that. It gives me time to think, to process and, sometimes, not to think about work at all.

There is something about being outside and moving that helps put things back into perspective. Some runs feel easy, others definitely do not. But I cannot remember many occasions when I have come back from a run wishing I had not gone. I nearly always return feeling clearer, more positive and better equipped for whatever comes next.

More recently, though, running has given me something I perhaps did not realise I was missing: community.

Taking the step to join a running club felt like quite a big one. Running had often been something I did on my own and, like many people, I think there was a little bit of apprehension about joining a group. Would I be quick enough? Would I fit in? Would everyone else know exactly what they were doing? It is very easy to create reasons in your head not to take that first step.

What I found was almost the complete opposite of those worries. I found people who were welcoming, encouraging and genuinely pleased to see others turn up. Yes, the running matters, and we all have our own goals, but the conversations, encouragement and shared experience matter just as much.

There is something really powerful about running alongside other people. You talk in a different way when you are side by side rather than sitting across a desk or in a meeting. Conversations happen naturally. You learn about people, you laugh, you encourage one another through the tougher miles and you celebrate the small wins together. A run that might have felt difficult on your own somehow feels more manageable when you are part of a group.

That sense of belonging has probably been the biggest surprise for me. Joining a running club has reminded me that wellbeing is not only about finding time for ourselves. Sometimes it is also about finding the right people to share that time with.

I think there is a strong connection here with education. So much of our work is built around relationships, belonging and community, yet those of us working in schools can sometimes forget that we need those things too. We spend a lot of time creating environments in which children and young people can flourish. We also need to give ourselves permission to find the things that help us flourish.

For me, running is increasingly one of those things.

It gives me headspace. It gives me a challenge. It gets me outside. It reminds me that progress is rarely about one big moment, but about turning up consistently and taking the next step. And now, through joining a club, it has given me new connections and a real sense of community too.

That is why the idea behind STRIDE resonates with me. Running does not need to be about times, distances or personal bests. It can be, if that is what motivates you, but it can equally be about making some space in a busy week, having a conversation with someone new, clearing your head after a difficult day or simply doing something that makes you feel better.

Sometimes the hardest part really is just getting out of the door. But I am learning that you do not always have to do that on your own.

David Higginbottom

(Head of HISP Teaching School Hubs and School Improvement Lead, HISP Multi-Academy Trust)

What does running give you?

STRIDE Stories are real experiences from people working across education — sharing what running, movement and community mean to them.

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