If you stand around the front of the Purple offices at 5pm on a Monday you will notice a gathering of individuals donning their running gear. For over a year the Purple running club has been going strong and we even recently ran the Great Manchester Run for the amazing Wood Street Mission.
But why did we start a running club?
Well there is no denying that, in the current day, the UK struggles with many health issues, especially obesity.
In fact we even have some of the highest rates in Europe. So anything we can do to combat this is considered a good idea. Past the numerous health benefits such as a reduced risk of a serious heart attack, reduced levels of stress and too many more to link in a single post, why else do we think starting a running club at your business would be a good idea?
Meet the team
As companies grow, the amount of staff they employ often grows with them. This can lead to departments becoming isolated from one another, in some cases Debbie from Accounting might never have even met Paul from Marketing. Group activities such as running clubs are an excellent way to break down those barriers and get your staff talking to each other.
Build the team
Running is a great goal setting exercise, and having a group of people to encourage and push you to achieve your goals is a great way to build up comradery. This was especially true in our case where we had someone join Purple’s running club barely able to run 5k, and last weekend they ran 10k in just over 50 minutes.
Focus the team
Now this could just be what our running club has found but taking time out of your busy schedules to jog for just 30 minutes can have an excellent effect on clearing your head and letting your mind refocus in on the important tasks ahead of you. It’s an old bit of advice that walking away from a problem can lead to new approaches being found.
Share the team
It is always good to give back to your community, a running club is an excellent way to raise funds for charitable causes. We recently did this to help raise funds for the Wood Street Mission (we’re still collecting donations if you’re feeling generous: click here). This can be a great way to help expand your corporate social responsibility in a way that makes a real difference.
How do you do it?
Every company is different, you may already have lots of active runners in your employ that would jump at the chance to form a running club. If you don’t, then this is a great goal setting opportunity. There are countless Couch to 5K programs out there to get started and the benefits are vast. Ultimately though, set a time that works for everyone and make it a weekly ritual. Keep each other accountable and enjoy yourself.
We’d love to hear your success stories if you do start one, so get in touch!