Bury running group launches to help beginners go from 0-5k

A team of trained volunteers is helping aspiring runners across Bury to go from 0-5k in just ten weeks, thanks to a free dedicated running programme.

Designed in partnership with I Will If You Will (IWIYW), the Bury-based fitness campaign, the eight 0-5k running programmes are split across all six townships of Bury to reach as many people as possible over the coming months.

The ten-week running groups are at:

• Nuttall Park, Ramsbottom – Mondays at 12pm (already launched)
• Clarence Park, Bury – Wednesdays at 1pm (starts 8 February)
• Burrs Country Park, Bury – Saturdays at 4pm (starts 25 February)
• Philips Park, Whitefield – Sundays at 11am (starts 12 March)
• Prestwich Clough – Sundays at 11am (starts 26 March)
• Burrs Country Park, Bury – Thursdays at 7pm (starts 13 April)
• Nuttall Park, Ramsbottom – Fridays at 7pm (starts 21 April)
• Close Park, Radcliffe – Tuesdays at 7pm (starts 2 May)

The first running group at Nuttall Park had 26 attendees taking up the running challenge for 2017, and organisers are hopeful for similar numbers at subsequent meetings.

Councillor Catherine Preston, deputy cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Bury Council, said: “As someone who loves running and who really enjoyed the Bury 10k last year, I think this is a fantastic initiative to help people start running and build up their fitness.

“The running programme is ten weeks of completely free coaching from trained run leaders, plus you’ll be exploring some of Bury’s finest green spaces at the same time.”

Maria Cranston, active travel officer for Bury Sport and Physical Activity Service, said: “We’ve designed the 0-5k running programme in a staggered way so that people can prepare themselves for taking on the ten weeks at a time and location that suits them.

“It’s a great foundation to start training for the Bury 10k in September alongside likeminded people who range from complete beginners to runners looking to improve. We were thrilled with the turnout at the first running group at Nuttall Park and hope that, once word gets around, we’ll see similar attendances at the others.”

For more information about the running programme and to book a place, call Maria Cranston on 0161 253 6396 or email m.cranston@bury.gov.uk

ENDS

Press release issued: 6 February 2017.

Picture: On your marks - 26 aspiring runners attended the launch of the first running group in Nuttall Park, with seven more launching in the coming months.

Note to editors:

I Will If You Will is a movement designed to help the women and girls of Bury get more active. It aims to overcome the many practical and emotional barriers to being active, while encouraging women to support each other by joining the I Will If You Will community.

The Phase One campaign was delivered by Bury Council with £2.3 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England. For the Phase Two campaign, Sport England has allocated a further £2 million to extend delivery over the next two years (to December 2016). I Will If You Will is focused on changing women’s and girls’ behaviours towards taking part in sport and physical activity with the aim of getting more women and girls being more active, more often, and helping improve the health and wellbeing of people in Bury. In doing so the ambition is to create a guide on how to practically go about engaging with women and girls locally and the implications of doing so.

The successful IWIYW pilot campaign identified valuable insights and helped develop the foundations for Sport England’s national This Girl Can campaign, which launched in January 15.