THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
Encouraging More Women to Start Running
Information for clubs
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
What is This Girl Can: Running?
u This Girl Can is a fantastic celebration of active women up and down the
country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it or how they
look. The campaign has inspired more women and girls to wiggle, jiggle, move
and prove that judgement is a barrier that can be overcome.
u This Girl Can: Running is a national, digital campaign that celebrates women
running, jogging or walking their way to a more active lifestyle. Created by
England Athletics with Sport England and a wide range of partnership
organisations, our goal is to continue to inspire more women to find their own
way into running – this might include lapping their local park, nipping out for a
run around the block or doing their local 10k. There are many ways in which
women can take their first steps into running.
u We want to show that running is for everyone. Our campaign is inclusive,
speaking to a broad and diverse range of women with various degrees of
exposure to and interest in running. This campaign is particularly targeted at
women who so far have had no, or very little, connection with the wider running
community.
u Our message is if you’re getting out there, or are curious about giving it a try,
then This Girl Can: Running will be with you every step of the way. Celebration
and motivation are the two driving forces behind This Girl Can: Running. By
sharing inspirational stories from a wide range of runners, insightful editorial
features and engaging social content, we will help beginner runners get started
and keep active runners motivated. The stories and features will inspire,
encourage and help us to show all that running has to offer.
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
Why launch This Girl Can: Running?
The role of the campaign is to liberate women from the judgements that hold
them back and provide a bridge between the main campaign and partners who
get people running. Our content will break down the barriers our audience face by
changing perceptions. We will champion a range of real women who are already
running to inspire and motivate our audience, and enable those who want to start
running by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to achieve
this goal.
What are we hoping to achieve?
Our aim is to INCREASE THE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND GIRLS RUNNING
REGULARLY. We will:
u Become an inclusive online destination for the running and non-running community
u Offer inspiration and support to help our community members reach their goals
u Promote and drive users to relevant partnership organisations, including local
running groups and clubs where appropriate
u Maintain and reinforce the positive messages of the overarching This Girl Can
campaign, and challenge negative perceptions of running
u Work with our partners to continue to break down barriers to women and girls
enjoying all the benefits of running.
u Highlight where they can access local support and inspiration in their local
community
How will we do it?
Research into what's stopping women turning their desire to be more active into
reality found that a fear of judgement – on appearance, ability or how they chose
to spend time on themselves – puts women of all ages off exercising. It is often
these mental barriers that stop women running but running is also particularly
accessible when these issues are overcome.
We’ll help women to gain self-confidence to overcome their fears by using a range
of real women with different stories, abilities, body shapes and aspirations to tell
useful and inspirational stories with the help of our community and partners. In
doing so we’ll showcase the range of opportunities that exist within running, and
inspire others to do the same. We want to reach and inspire people who otherwise
might never overcome the barriers to running that they perceive to exist. They can
then begin to enjoy all that running has to offer.
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
How you can support the campaign
u Tell your club members about the campaign directly – why not mention it in
your next email or your club's Facebook page?
u Visit our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (see below
for details)
u Tweet and post about the campaign and encourage women who run with your
club to do the same using #thisgirlcanrun
u Share the content on our blog and social channels
u Get more involved – if you have something to offer women new to running
we’d love to hear about it
u Make use of the England Athletics resources which have been devised to
support clubs in becoming more accessible to the type of women likely to
be inspired by the This Girl Can: Running campaign.
See www.englandathletics.org/thisgirlcan-clubs
Some messages you and your members could use
We are proud to be supporting @This Girl Can: Running, celebrating women
up and down the country who are running their way to a more active lifestyle!
Find out more here: http://running.thisgirlcan.co.uk. #ThisGirlCanRun
We are proud to be supporting the This Girl Can: Running campaign!
Find out more here http://bit.ly/1HSKmxD @TGCRunning
#thisgirlcanrun
Blog
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
Facebook
This Girl Can: Running
Twitter
@TGCRunning
Instagram
This Girl Can Running
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
Partners
We’re working with a wide range of organisations that provide women
with brilliant running experiences:
England Athletics
parkrun
England Athletics have a
wide range of affiliated
clubs, many of whom
offer specific beginners
groups, which cater for
runners with a range of
abilities, aspirations and
motivations.
parkrun organise free weekly
5k runs & 2k junior parkruns
that are open to all, in open
spaces throughout UK. Walk,
jog or run or even volunteer no previous experience is
required.
Run England
The official England
Athletics recreational
running programme
offering friendly,
supportive beginner's
running groups led by
qualified Group Leaders
to help women take their
first steps into running.
Women’s Running
Women’s Running UK is
a complete digital
package to inspire and
support our female
running community.
Race for Life
Cancer Research UK’s
Race for Life is a series
of women-only events
across the UK. Walk,
Jog or Charge your way
through a 5k, 10k, Pretty
Muddy, Half-Marathon
or Marathon
The Fat Girls’ Guide
To Running
Advice, inspiration and runs
specifically for plus size
runners.
Lazy Girl Running
Motivational blog and groups
from someone who caught the
running bug
Great Run
A leading series of mass
participation road running
events in the UK, supporting
women to set running goals
and achieve them, from 5k to
half marathon.
Run Mummy Run®
A friendly online running
community in the UK.
Encouraging women
everywhere to lead fitter,
happier and healthier lives.
Fetcheveryone
Fetcheveryone is a FREE
website for runners, cyclists,
swimmers, triathletes, and
outdoorsy types.
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
Human Race Events
The UK’s leading mass
participation sports events
company, with over 25
years’ experience in
organising runs. They cater
for women of all ages and
abilities.
The Running Bug
The Running Bug is the
fastest growing and most
supportive social network for
runners, with a community
of over 300,000 people
encouraging each other to
live a healthy active lifestyle.
Bounts
Exercise = Rewards. Earn
real cash vouchers and
rewards for exercising.
Bounts connects with Fitbit,
RunKeeper, MapMyFitness
and many more fitness apps.
Register FREE.
Run or Dye
Run or Dye is the world's
most colourful 5k. This is
your chance to have THE
most colour-filled day of
your life with family and
friends as you celebrate life,
friendship, fitness, and fun.
Join in
Volunteering in local sport
has the power to create
healthier, happier people
and stronger communities.
Join In is the nation’s charity
for local sports volunteering
and helps people find their
place in sport.
Four of the best women writers on running will be contributing regularly
to our blog as we look to show more women everything that running has
to offer them.
Julie Creffield
Leanne Davies
(@fattymustrun)
Julie Creffield a plus size
athlete, running coach and
creator of The Fat Girls’
Guide to Running, which aims
to get 1 million inactive
women running.
(@Run_Mummy_Run)
Leanne Davies is a runner,
mother of two and founder
of the nationwide online
running community Run
Mummy Run.
Laura Fountain
(@Shona_D_Thomson)
Shona is the first Scottish,
and third British female, to
run a marathon on every
continent, and join the Seven
Marathons Continents Club.
(@lazygirlrunning)
Laura Fountain is a former
couch potato turned
marathon addict who teaches
people how to love running.
Shona Thomson
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk
THIS GIRL CAN: RUNNING
Thank you
For more information and to get involved please email
[email protected]
#thisgirlcanrun
running.thisgirlcan.co.uk