Who can believe it’s already the end of March and already a quarter of the way through the calendar year! As well as this minor milestone, the month also saw the celebration of Easter and much of the Ramadan period. The month might be remembered for a few things. It saw the hosting of the Oscars, a new First Minister in Wales and the anniversary of the introduction of the UK driving test in 1934. More frustratingly, some us might remember it for the weather as, according to the Met Office, Wales received more than 150% of its average monthly rainfall!
There was also much fun to be had for our Run Wales Social Running Groups up and down the country. Read on below to see more of what they’ve been up to, including the addition of a few new groups!
For some, Easter is a popular time to participate in some amazing running events, with many popular marathons, 10ks and Half-Marathons taking place during the spring time throughout Wales and beyond.
One of these was the Anglesey Half Marathon and 10k, where runners from the Dwygy Dashers had a great day out. Members of their group also completed their LiRF qualification this month. Congratulations to Arfon and Jamie!
Staying North, Porth Eirias Runners members completed one of the Colwyn Bay 5, 10 or 20 milers, cheered on by their group-mates, some of whom were volunteering. They were even able to celebrate their success with a cuppa from their very own PE Runners branded mugs!
Erddig Muddy Trainers headed to the pretty Alyn Waters Country Park, with some runners completing the 5k and some manning their very own exhibition stand at the event!
Heading south, the Sunday Striders of Newtown made the short trip to the Welshpool 10k a fairly recent addition in the last few years to the running calendar in Mid-Wales.
Back to the familiar Pembrey Country Park, The Great Welsh Marathon and Half Marathon also returned. Members from several social running groups taking part, including the Swansea Striders and Clwb Run Wales and some hit some impressive personal bests.
Outside of major events, the Easter Bunny was feeling runny at Chargers Running Club in Cardiff, whose members made the most of the lighter evenings, the opportunity to welcome new faces and the enjoyment coffees and post-run refreshments.
Monmouth Rock up and Run celebrated their amazing 6th Anniversary by launching a local walking group, helping more people within the county to get out and about and get active.
Trips out and parkrun tourism was on the agenda for several groups. Some headed to major European city events. Mon Milers took on a Parisian twist as they headed for the French capital’s half-marathon, while Rosie and Kerry from She Runs Cardiff headed for an Iberian-themed trip as they took on the Barcelona Marathon.
Closer to home, the ladies of She Runs: Cardiff were able to take in the fantastic sceneries and starry skies of rural South Wales, heading for runs around Caerphilly Mountain and Mynydd Rudry.
Kay and Seriously Mad Runners continued their famous parkrun trips, heading to one of their local favourites at Pontypridd before heading further afield over the border to Birmingham to Oaklands parkrun, tied in with a trip to see Slash from Guns and Roses!
The outings continued at Easy Pacers Cwmbran, who for a short time were forced to rebrand themselves as the Easy Dippers, as they visited the Polarity Wellbeing Centre for a bit of yoga, followed by a chilly eight degree dip in the pool.
Various Couch-2-5k Groups are still going strong and some will be starting up in the next few months. Mon Milers held their latest graduation and will be starting a new course in April. Just Run Penybont, Undy & Redwick Road Runners and Llantwit Major Milers have also announced new courses starting in the next few months- be sure to check out the group’s pages to find out more.
Social running groups have also been making an incredible impact in their local community. Llanelli Striders marked the start of Run Wales’ exciting partnership with Mind Cymru by teaming up with their local Llanelli Mind, jointly organising some of their group runs. Meanwhile, the Wrexham Sole Sisters were fundraising for causes including the Wrexham Miners project and the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit. We also couldn’t fail to mention Yr Hen Blwyf members who took 30 min turns on a treadmill to in aid of Tracey and Chris’ London Marathon for Blood Cancer UK. We wish them the best of luck.
Finally, we were also thrilled to welcome new groups to the Run Wales community:
5k Your Way Nant y Pandy – Llangefni
Black Cloak Runners – Colwyn Bay
Cardiff Muslim Runners – Cardiff
Mwslima Run Club – Cardiff
Sole Mate Social Runners – Merthyr Tydfil