Desford Striders set for anniversary milestone
DESFORD Striders Running Club is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year in the best way it can during lockdown restrictions - with a 30 mile virtual relay run!
Club president Steve Morris was one of the founding members and one of 14 people who attended a meeting at Bosworth College’s Desford campus on February 28, 1991 to discuss the possibility of forming a new running club.
Steve explained that the decision to create a new club, alongside work colleague John Silverwood, was because the pair thought existing clubs were only for elite athletes and they wanted one that catered for all ages and abilities.
They had already come up with the name Desford Striders Running Club as it ‘had a nice ring to it’ and, at that first meeting, Steve was duly voted in as the first Chairman and John as Secretary. The first organised social run by the newly-formed club happened the following Thursday, still the traditional social run day of the week to this day
From those tiny beginnings has grown a club that now has more than 200 members, hosts its own road and cross-country league races, sends athletes to compete in some of the most famous running events in the world and has a proud recent history of encouraging local people to take up running through its popular Couch to 5K programmes.
Steve said: “It was my idea to start the club but it is the enthusiasm and commitment of others down the years that has made it what it is today. There are dozens and dozens of people who have shared the task of keeping the Striders running over three decades.
“It’s brilliant when I see people turning out for training on Tuesdays and runs on Thursdays and, when we’ve had 70 or more Striders turn out for LRRL races as we have in recent years, all proudly wearing the club colours, it has brought a lump to my throat.
“I think about it every single day and it makes me feel so proud.”
Current club chairman Andy Ball said the club was going to hold a 30 mile relay run to mark the actual anniversary at the end of February.
“We have already got 106 people signed up so far. There will be teams of six, with each person running five miles, but of course with lockdown restrictions it will be done virtually.”
The club also had a competition for its junior club, the Desford Flyers, to design a poster and the winning design by Emma Smith is pictured right.
• To find out more about the club visit the website at www.desfordstriders.co.uk