With Spring well and truly underway and Summer just around the corner, there’s no better time to be out in the great outdoors experiencing the local wonders. The perfect way to take it all in is through exercise. Blue Mountains Running Co and UP Coaching have done just that and come together to offer a social run, held each week on Wednesdays in Glenbrook.
The social run began at the same time as the Blue Mountains Running Co, a specialist running store in Glenbrook, opened in March 2017. Owners Shane and Belinda Simpson wanted this to be more than just a retail store, but rather a hub for all runners; trail, road or track of any age, ability or club alliance to meet, connect and enjoy each other’s passion.
Shane and Belinda spoke to UP Coaching Head Coach Brendan Davies about the concept. They were thrilled that he shared their vision of a weekly event for our community, and he agreed to co-host the event as a social run which supplemented the more training focused squad sessions he hosts in his regular weekly timetable.
“I got together 6 routes of around 5 to 6.5km that all start and finish at BMRC and take in a mixture of trail and road but are achievable for all. I tried to avoid too many hills, though this is a tough ask at Glenbrook! There are also shorter options offered for those new to running or those just wanting to walk” said Brendan Davies of UP Coaching.
“These six are rotated throughout the year, and once one full cycle is complete, we reverse the direction of all runs just for extra variety! Our runs take in many of the local trails and reserves such as Darks Common, Tunnel Gully Reserve, Knapsack Reserve, Mt Sion and Glenbrook Nature Reserve” he added.
The only required gear for the social run is a headlamp in Winter months (the runs start after sunset) and your running shoes. There’s no cost and they encourage runners to bring their leashed dogs as all the routes are on public streets or through council parks and not through the National Park.
“A night at our group run demonstrates the importance of community. We all lead very busy lives, but it’s amazing to think that this large group put aside this time each week to be healthy, to be social and to enjoy the huge health benefits that running provides. We cater to all levels; it is very inclusive and very friendly! We provide online links to maps as well as paper maps and have a tail walker making sure nobody gets left behind. At the conclusion, we provide drinks and have a group BBQ once a month. Quite often we will have special guests such as brand ambassadors or trail running identities come in and give a talk or activation” ended Brendan.
The social run meets at Blue Mountains Running Co/2773 Glenbrook at 5:50pm for a 6:00pm start every Wednesday.