A group of us decided to start running together after work. From just two runners to six runners and today, we are running regularly as a crew with 60-70 runners each session. It is an incredible feeling to run with a crew. It just likes the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone if you want to go far, go together”.
Running in a group has really helped in my running development. One of the benefits is that you can learn from the other runners, those who are of different background. We have doctors, accountants, engineers, students, lawyers and even the expats joining our session. Just imagine the amount of knowledge being shared and communicated within the group.
From medical, fitness, events, equipment and strategies, you name it, you can learn from one another. The runners in our crew could share their running journey, their running knowledge, what works for them and even how to overcome injury. It is such an incredible form of communication between the runners. It is all about sharing knowledge and tips to become a better runner.
It is also safer when you run in a crew. Living in a humid and tropical country, the only time suitable to go out for a run is in the wee hours of the morning or at night. As most parks are closed by then, this is when most of us opt to run around the neighborhood or on the road. There are cases where runners are hit by cars or robbed during their run, especially when running solo. Running in a group not only increase your visibility but also reduces the chances of being robbed. We can look out for each other.
I used to run alone around my housing area or sometimes I will be running alone on the treadmill. To be honest, this only puts me off as I could only run so much in a very monotonous and boring way. With a running crew, we can run much longer without even realizing it. You don’t have to be in a formal crew but as long as you have a few running buddies, it just triples the fun (The more the merrier right!)
