The club that began as a running club
THE APRÈS RUN CLUB IN TWICKENHAM, LONDON, WAS FORMED IN 2015 WITH SEVEN WOMEN WHO INTENDED TO GET FIT, BUT ENDED UP DRINKING WINE
AND SHARING BOOKS. THEY MEET ONE EVENING A MONTH IN A DIFFERENT PUB.
SAM MARTIN, 43, A TEACHER, REPLIED TO AN ADVERT BY A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TEAM FOR ‘SEDENTARY FEMALES WHO WANT TO GET FIT’. THE VOLUNTEERS WERE PUT ON A RUNNING PROGRAMME, BUT MORPHED INTO A BOOK GROUP. SAM SAYS: “WE’RE ALL DEAD DIFFERENT, BUT HAVE AN ABSOLUTE HOOT – WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER.”
HIGHLIGHTS? “EVERY JANUARY, WE GET TOGETHER TO COMMEMORATE OUR RUNNING ROOTS. THE FIRST YEAR, WE WENT FOR A RUN AND THEN FOR DRINKS. THE SECOND YEAR, WE JUST DID THE DRINKS!”
CHOOSING THE BOOKS? “WE TAKE IT IN TURNS AND THE PERSON WHO PICKS THE BOOK PICKS THE PUB WHERE WE MEET.”
THE BOOK THAT BROKE YOU?
“The Pillars of the Earth BY KEN FOLLETT. IT WAS THE FIRST BOOK WE DID AND A MILLION-PAGE TOME ABOUT MEDIEVAL
WAR, EXPLOITATION AND DEATH. WE SET A PAGE LIMIT AFTER THAT BOOK.”