By Carole Lucas August 2026
Back in the 1980s, I was looking to join a club of some type as a way to meet new people and shake me out of a temporary lull in my life. I had always loved running and preferred to run with other women, but I couldn’t find anyone to run with until I was introduced to a woman called Julia who enjoyed jogging. We started running together regularly, which I loved, and this prompted me to start a running club for women who were looking for running companions and new circles of friends.
The club started out quite small. We joined an existing club in Victoria Park and from there our numbers grew until we decided to go it on our own. I set up Hackney Women Harriers and soon we were a fully-fledged, affiliated club with a diverse range of members. We ran many races around the country, and some abroad, over the course of 10 years. We achieved a huge amount in terms of running achievements as a club, and even more so on a personal level, with numerous races completed and Personal Bests achieved.
There was great camaraderie within the club as we supported each other to achieve our personal running and fitness goals. Over the years, strong and enduring relationships between members grew through nights in the pub, parties, weekends away and racing events. When I look back on the club, I see a fantastic group of dynamic women determined to improve their lives through running and having fun together at the same time. I loved my time in the Harriers and I’m blessed to still have some of those enduring friendships to this day.
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