Warwick district's Run Like a Girl group celebrates fifth anniversary

The women's running group Run Like a Girl, which operates in the Warwick district, is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

Run Like a Girl (RLAG) was founded by Lauren Gregory in July 2015 to help encourage women how to run with beginners courses in Leamington and Warwick.

This week the group will have been going for five years.

Lauren said: "A lot has changed since the first year.

" I never imagined that RLAG would become such a huge success and in such a short space of time.

"Myself and the team have had to learn and develop as the group has evolved - it's been a big learning curve and there have been times when certain concepts haven't worked out as well as others but we live and learn, I'm a big believer that failure is part of success.

"I honestly can't believe we've been going for five years, so much has happened and we've seen so many amazing ladies join the group in that time, it's been an incredible few years.

"I feel sad that we won't be able to celebrate in the usual way but we're having a Zoom quiz night instead and hopefully we can have a belated get together later in the year."

Lauren, who is a personal trainer, not only founded RLAG as a way to help people get active but to also help people’s mental health and since it started the group has gone from strength to strength and has been nationally recognised.

Last year Lauren was named on the ‘Mover List’ which is created by Lucozade Sport and The Independent.

RLAG has also won a few awards including Best Running Group of the Year West Midlands in 2016 and Best Running Group of the Year Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire in 2018.

A number of race leaders and group leaders have also won a number of awards.

"We've won awards and had a lot of media coverage which has been fun but the one thing that this has only ever been about is the strength and power behind women supporting women, and nothing can ever beat that.

"I'd like to thank everyone who has ever been a part of RLAG; the volunteer Running Leaders, our loyal members past and present, Think Active who have supported us since day one, Parkun and all of our local race organisers for always making us feel so welcome.

"When I decided to start up a small running group to get local ladies into running, never did I imagine seeing it grow into such an incredible movement of strong, determined women all supporting each other - shoulder to shoulder we run."

When asked what the future holds for the running group, Lauren said: "With things the way are at the moment in terms of Covid guidelines, we've had to put group sessions on hold with a view to starting back up in September.

"There'll be a few changes going forward which will hopefully simplify the 'behind the scenes' work which I believe will be for the better, both for RLAG members and the Running Leader team.

"I see a lot of positivity in the future of RLAG and would like to keep as many ladies active as possible for the foreseeable future."

For more information about Run Like a Girl go to: http://www.runlikeagirl.org.uk