By Ros Clarke
Only three years old but what an impact it’s had on so many of our lives! We go running no matter the weather – it is quite a sight to see us standing in the rain waiting for our run to start. And at the end of the run, we are always glad we showed up. We’re an inclusive group always looking for new members, we have people of all ages and abilities, with one thing in common, we want to give it a go.
We started this group with community in mind. For some time, before we started, a few of us were desperate for a free weekly running group in Hassocks. We weren’t sure how to make it happen, but so many people offered their support, including the lovely Rachel, who let us use Proper Cycling and Café as a base. In the early days, we were so worried we might get it wrong that it took a while for us to relax. We hoped people would turn up - and they did – and still do every time.
We now meet outside Keymer and Hassocks Sports and Social Club in Adastra Park. We do three regular runs in the week and one varied run on a Sunday. We have around 20 volunteer run leaders and over 500 members from Hassocks and beyond, and to this day we have never charged anyone a penny!
One of our members said: “The group supported me when I wanted to return to running in my seventies. I am even leading some runs now (although occasionally and from the back).” Another one of our members said: “I was nervous joining a group of runners, I thought everyone would be so good, and I would always be last, but it’s not like that, everyone supports each other.”
Hassocks Community Runners is more than just a running group. We bring people together, we laugh, and we create lasting friendships whilst enjoying our beautiful countryside. Oh yes and we run too! We continued through lockdown and adapted to new Covid rules, sometimes setting virtual challenges to help us stay in touch and motivate each other to keep moving.
We also actively support local organisations, through fundraising and volunteering. Another member, Lynn said: “I was a complete non-runner when I joined HCR and genuinely thought I couldn’t ever be a runner. The group is so welcoming, friendly and supportive that I never looked back. It supports everyone regardless of ability or goals. Running twice a week made me the fittest I ever have ever been and motivated me. I also made some wonderful friends.”
It’s so lovely to walk through the village and bump into people of all ages that we’ve met through the running group. We encourage each other and make people proud of any achievements, big or small. The future looks bright – we will continue to work hard to be at the heart of our community. We offer 10k, 7k and 5k runs at all paces and we offer a 3k walk/run for people who want to try out running. Don’t worry if you’ve never run, just come and give it a go. You can join us on Facebook, search for Hassocks Community Runners – or come and join us in Adastra Park on a Monday or Wednesday at 7pm or on Fridays at 9.15am.
