Looking for a new hobby?
BY CASSIDY BAILEY, IMAGE BY NATURAL WOMEN COLLECTION/CANVA
Struggling to make queer friends? We get it. But if it’s LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary folk in particular that you’re looking to meet and bond with while hot, breathless and sweaty, we have just the idea for you.
If you’re a fitness fan and up for embracing group exercise as a way to make some new besties, look no further than our list of UK-based run clubs.
Les Run Club, London
London-based Les Run Club is an inclusive running club for queer women, trans and non-binary people. While they’re big on social running, they also do Les Lift sessions and even hosted a Sappholympics sports day event at the beginning of August, in partnership with Lez Play Games. And, of course, there’s a healthy dose of social meetups after the runs too!
Birmingham Swifts, Birmingham
The Birmingham Swifts LGBTQIA+ running club is open to runners of any ability, age, sexuality or gender. It’s also completely free! They hold weekly social runs every Thursday and join parkruns on Saturdays too. And the club is super beginner-friendly, as they host “starting out sessions” for people with little to no running experience. Birmingham Swifts is part of the International Frontrunners network, which hosts run clubs all over the UK.
Cardiff Foxes, Cardiff
If you live in Cardiff or the surrounding areas and want to join an LGBTQIA+ running group, look no further than the Cardiff Foxes. They hold social runs every Wednesday and Sunday, with an easy-to-follow schedule available each month on their Instagram. It’s free to run and they say people of all running abilities are welcome.
Queer Running Club, London
Queer Running Club, or QRC, is a London-based community and safe space for queer and trans people to run together. They hold social runs every Tuesday evening and always have a social meetup afterwards too, so you can get to know other runners better. If you’re curious, look out for their quarterly “open evenings”, where you can meet the crew and find out more about the club.
BLAGGS Running, Brighton
The Brighton LGBTQ+ Sports Society hosts a range of sports clubs and classes for queer people from Brighton and Hove, Sussex and beyond. BLAGGS Running holds sessions every Saturday morning, each with a different fitness focus. Once a BLAGSS member, the run club is free to attend, and sessions are adapted to suit everyone, so they seem open to beginners too.
And there’s plenty more where they came from! Check out the International Frontrunners network and the Pride Sports club finder to find run clubs local to you.
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