By Jan Aitchison August 2026
I joined HWH around 1995 or 1996. I was looking for a way to do more exercise when I came across a flyer for HWH in one of the North London gay pubs (Fallen Angel or Duke of Wellington). I went along one week to try it out and the women were very welcoming of me, a newbie runner, and I never looked back. I started running regularly with the club, participated in my first races and, of course, joined a lot of the social events. My time with HWH was relatively short as I moved to the US in 1997 and then to Australia in 2020. But I have remained good friends with some of the women I met through the club. And I have continued running to this day. Over the years I have raced at every distance, from 5K to 10K to marathons, and I still regularly run for pleasure. I have the women of HWH to thank for introducing me to a lifetime of running, and for some enduring friendships.
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