How one running club is attracting the over 50s

In a world where fitness appears to be dominated by fit young people, one running club in Suffolk is bucking the trend.

More than half the members of Saxons Running & Fitness Club in Saxmundham are over the age of 50, with a third over the age of 60.

Data shows that more people are turning to sport as they get older with many citing the mental and social benefits it brings, alongside the physical ones.

So just how has the running club attracted older people, what do they get out of it and what does the wider data show us?

John Axtell, 62, is the club's chair and he joined about eight years ago after taking up running in his 50s.

"I think running is a really easy sport to get into," he says. "It might be very daunting to start with, it might seem really scary.

"I know I used to look at runners as if they were a different species altogether.

"It's not expensive and when you join a running club, what you'll find is that people are very welcoming, and it's non-judgmental and all-inclusive.

"So everyone can do it."

The Saxons train several times a week and they also offer strength sessions.

The club also has an eight-week beginner's course that runs yearly where a coach teaches people the principles of the sport and how they can achieve their goals.

For its upcoming annual five mile (8km) race in October, it is also adding extra age categories to accommodate its increase in older runners.

It will mean for those aged between 40 and 75, prizes will be awarded in five-year brackets instead of 10 years.

Member Gary Lowe, 68, who led the change, says it will enable runners "to compete against their true peer group" as he recognised "the decline in performance does accelerate" after 60 for some people.

Chris Lucas, 61, is one of the club coaches and got into running in his 20s.

The sport still keeps him fit, especially as he has a sedentary job.

"I do take a great deal of joy seeing people increasing their fitness, losing weight, feeling healthier and you get a lot of positive feedback," he adds.

Caroline Spendlove, 57, joined the club two years ago after she had a desire to get fit, but found gyms not "particularly friendly".

"I thought I'll be the slowest, I'll be the oldest, there won't be many females," she says.

"I was so wrong. I arrived, everyone was so welcoming and there's females here and males that are older than I am, some can run much better, others much slower.

"Running is a great leveller and this is a good club to come to."

Jo Clifton, 57, has been a club member for 20 years and has noticed a lot more people in later stages of life joining in recent years.

"I think it's more accessible and it's getting people out," she explains.

"There's more of a health drive, the Parkrun helps as well.

"We are a very friendly and inclusive club, and this area is an older area, on the coast generally."

Emily O'Neill is a PhD researcher at the University of Suffolk at its Institute of Health and Wellbeing and she also works with Active Suffolk, one of 43 partnerships across England dedicated to increasing the number of people taking part in sport.

More people are running or being active in mid to late life, she says.

Sport England data shows activity levels in the 55 to 74 age group are increasing, with more than 2.1 million in that age category more active compared to nine years ago.

Similarly in the 75+ category, there are 0.7 million more people active compared to nine years ago.

O'Neill says initiatives like Parkrun are also helping, with nearly half of the regular runners at the Ipswich Christchurch race aged 50 and over.

"I think this greater visibility of people active and engaged in mid to later life is really leading to a culture change around ageing and exercise and movement," she adds.

There is better understanding of the benefits of exercise, O'Neill says, like improved cognitive health and lower dementia risks later in life.

Other data has shown many people citing the social aspect of joining clubs as a significant motivator which could be important for people in rural communities, she adds.

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