The council’s Merton Women Run scheme recruits women to become “run leaders” in their community.
The pilot helped 10 women undertake Run Leader training with England Athletics in its first year.
Once qualified, they went on to facilitate at least three runs per week for groups of women of all levels, including pram-friendly events.
Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah, Cabinet Member for Sport and Heritage, says:
“This project has already supported women across the borough to get out and about, make connections and enjoy running together. It’s also a brilliant example of collaboration between council departments towards a shared goal: to break down barriers to exercise and ensure everyone feels able to exercise in a way that works for them.”
Resident, Emily Fleuriot, who completed the run leader training and delivered runs at Figges Marsh this year, said:
“I love running, as much for the people I meet as for how it makes me feel in my mind and body. We can all be runners.
“It took me until I was nearly 40 to give it a go, having never been ‘sporty’, and now I’m a trained run leader supporting others. It’s been fantastic to see women from our running group grow in confidence and start running independently too.”
Could you become a Run Leader?
Merton Council is inviting women who are passionate about running and community engagement to apply to become Run Leaders.
If you want to motivate others, foster community spirit, and help make running accessible and safe for women of all levels, this is your chance to get involved. You don’t need any experience of leading runs, just enthusiasm and the ability to commit to running regular sessions.
