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'All-female club makes running less awkward'

Kate BradbrookHigham Ferrers, Northamptonshire
News imageKate Bradbrook/BBC Woman with dark hair tied back and sunglasses on her head wears a mauve T-shirt. She is smiling at the camera and stands in front of a large park, with a hedge on the right of the photo.Kate Bradbrook/BBC
Simone Smith, 31, says For The Women running club has helped her to feel more confident and make new friends

Members of a new female-only running club say joining has helped them to feel more confident while exercising.

For The Women (FTW) was founded at the school gates in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, six months ago to encourage those of all abilities, including busy mums, to find time to exercise.

For runners like Simone Smith, 31, it has meant feeling less self-conscious while training.

"Summer's coming up, and it gets a bit awkward for us girls... when we put on our little shorts and top... being surrounded by women you don't feel like that," she said.

News imageBBC/ Kate Bradbrook Nineteen runners, mostly wearing black tops and leggings, stand and kneel in two rows on a path, posing for the camera. BBC/ Kate Bradbrook
For The Women running club was founded six months ago by Courtney Payne (far right) and now has more than 50 regular members

Rebeka Szabo started running this year and travels from Northampton to attend the club, which now has more than 50 regular members.

She said running 5km (3.1 miles) used to be a challenge, but since joining the group she has signed up to a half marathon.

"Here is such a safe space and the girls are so encouraging. It's just a girlyhood and I really like it.

"I've been part of a mixed club before and you always get that competition... with guys running a bit faster and girls trying to keep up, but not here," she added.

Friends and community

Emma Noble, 33, from Higham Ferrers, joined the club after seeing it advertised on social media.

She said it has helped her self-esteem because "you need a group of people to say, you can do this".

"Courtney, who founded it, is incredible at that, she says don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done.

"When I joined I didn't know a single person and now I have a whole group of mum friends and a community that I didn't have before."

News imageBBC / Kate Bradbrook Women runners mostly wearing black tops and leggings run along a path left to right, behind them is a park. The sky is cloudy approaching sunset.BBC / Kate Bradbrook
Some of running club members had not run further than 5km (3.1 miles) when they joined and have since signed up for half marathon races

Coach Kyla Lyford, 44, said the club has given members confidence to believe in themselves.

"What keeps me going is seeing women getting PBs [personal bests]... running half marathons... and that's just the best feeling.

"We design every run so that all abilities can take part.

"When you get older and have children you lose yourself and it's given them the confidence to find themselves again," she added.

News imageKate Bradbrook/BBC Women in her thirties wearing a black baseball cap and black running jacket. She is standing in front of green fencing surrounding a school. She is smiling and looking directly at the camera. Kate Bradbrook/BBC
Mum of two, Courtney Payne, founded For The Women running club to build community and help women connect

Courtney Payne, 34, who founded FTW and is a mum of two, said she wanted to give busy parents like herself "a little push" to get started with running.

"A lot of the members are school-run mums... we do it around children's bedtimes, bath times, we find a time that suits everybody."

Payne said the club started with six members in the first week and has grown and grown.

"It started because I thought, these women need a bit of fire in their bellies to get going and I can give that to them," she said.

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