Pre-lockdown, I ran with a Garmin watch but on race day, I decided to leave the data for later and relied on my fellow runners to help me set a manageable pace.

Like many runners who train alone, the variation of my pacing has narrowed. We tend to run the same runs in the same times – never pushing hard enough or slowing down for a proper recovery. The training pace of competitive runners, however, can vary by two minutes per kilometre or more. Their easy runs are really easy, and their fast runs – well you can guess.

It’s fair to say that the group got me over the finish line to where I wanted to be. Coming back together reminded me that race times aren’t the real currency; whatever your pace, there’s nothing like jumping feet first into a race to feel part of the running community. Showing up (in real life) and doing my best gave me the required emotional result. Pin on a race number and you’re halfway there.

Whatever restrictions have and may be in place, you don’t need to ask permission to start running. Running is freedom. After the race drought of 2020, runners like me are recognising the fact that local racing and communal running offer a feel-good route to human connection that’s more important than ever.

So, here’s to group runs and shared goals. We’re better together.

Why running with other people makes you a faster, stronger runner