It's 6.45 am on a frosty Friday morning along Hampton Beach Boulevard.
The cafe nearby is surrounded by early morning commuters getting their shot of caffeine, cyclists standing around their bikes and, at one large outdoor table, a group of runners.
Red-faced, sweaty and smiling, these runners beam over the extra kilometre they managed to add to their morning jog.
They are a part of the expanding empire of ‘run clubs’ - the hot new trend taking over Sydney and Melbourne.
The Sydney-based Instagram account, ‘Unofficial Run Club’, has over 50 thousand followers.
So what is making this Sydney-run club, and all its counterparts, so enticing?
One can’t help but question the appeal of waking up pre-dawn, to lace up your runners and take part in a brisk group run.
Athletics Australia found that Australia has the 5th highest proportion of female runners in the world, so why now are women choosing group runs as opposed to a peaceful solo jog?
One explanation for the sudden surge in female-driven run clubs is the recent murder of Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy, who was killed on her routine morning run.
Avid runner, Amanda Loeding, said she no longer would feel comfortable running routes she previously completed without second thoughts.
“When I did trail runs I had to psyche myself up to be very brave,” she said.
Being “frustrated” with the risk to her “personal safety” whilst solo running, Amanda is turning to running clubs to reclaim her joy in the sport.
“They’re such a positive space for women to come together and run safely, it’s an enthusiastic and supportive environment for women,” she said.
Mission Australias ‘Gender Gaps – Findings from the Youth Survey 2018’ revealed that Amanda is not alone in this sentiment. Their findings showed that 47% of young females reported feeling unsafe when walking alone after dark compared to a mere 18% of young males.
These statistics from 2018 highlight the growing fear among women exercising and travelling alone.
This fear has translated into the growth of running clubs, an accessible solution to this solo running anxiety.
Rosie Sheppard, the founder of Hot Stuff Run Club has seen the popularity of her small club grow immensely over the past couple of months.
“It started off with 2 of us, and then got to 4 of us and now consistently we have probably about 10 on average each week,” she said.
With her Run Club, Rosie has been able to develop a sense of “safety in numbers” by ensuring that her group runs “in a pack.”
“If I take it away from the run club, me personally, running on my own is something I’m more hesitant about now than I would have been previously,” she said.
So next time a bunch of runners block the footpath on a chilly Friday morning, strive to see them as more than just a nuisance to swerve but rather as a group of empowered women running towards a safer future in sport.
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