A Darlington runner has turned his own return to running into a growing online community, with First Mile Club now connecting hundreds of runners through TikTok, Strava and WhatsApp.
First Mile Club (FMC) was created with a simple idea: RUN β’ IMPROVE β’ INSPIRE.
What began as a way of documenting one person's running journey has developed into a community designed to encourage people to get involved, improve their running and enjoy the sport together.
In just a few months, the community has grown to more than 2,100 followers on TikTok, 200 members in its Strava group and 70 members in its WhatsApp community.
Rather than simply creating another running brand focused on selling clothing, the aim behind First Mile Club has been to build something around participation and community.
One of the main ways FMC does this is through virtual running events. Members can take part wherever they are, record their runs and contribute their distance towards a shared community target.
The next event will be the FMC 500KM Community Challenge, taking place on 29th and 30th August.
The challenge will see members of the community collectively attempt to cover 500 kilometres over the weekend.
The idea behind the challenges is that nobody has to be the fastest runner or cover an enormous distance themselves. Every runner contributes towards the overall target.
No one runner changes the total. Everyone does.
For the upcoming event, First Mile Club has also collaborated with Blakwell and APE Running, with multiple prizes available for participants.
The long-term ambition is to continue growing First Mile Club into a community where runners of all abilities can take part in challenges, connect with other runners and celebrate their achievements.
What started with one runner and a phone is now becoming a community of runners working towards something together.
RUN β’ IMPROVE β’ INSPIRE.
