Meet Muslim Runners in ‘trailblazing movement’
INCLUSIVE PARK
MUSLIMS have come together through their shared faith and a passion for exercise to form a running club.
The Muslim Runners meets every Saturday morning at Victoria Park to take part in Leicester Victoria Parkrun, a 5km community event.
The group was founded in Coventry in May 2021 by Haroon Mota, founder and director of the Active Inclusion Network, a national organisation that champions diversity and inclusion in sports and fitness activities.
The Leicester branch began later in the same year.
Haroon said: “We’re on a mission to make the outdoors accessible to all. Join us in breaking down barriers and fostering inclusivity.”
The Muslim Runners is a sister project to other Active Inclusion Network groups, including the Muslim Hikers and the Muslim Cyclists.
Community lead for the Leicester team, 37-year-old Mubarak Sheikh, said he started running in 2016 after taking part in the Leicester Half Marathon.
He said: “I thought it was going to be a one-off race, but I ended up enjoying running and seeing the camaraderie that running brings, so I fell in love with it from that day.
“It’s a really good and inclusive space, where you can run, walk, jog or volunteer, and there are people from different backgrounds who come along for the love of the sport.”
He described the Muslim Runners as a “trailblazing movement” created to empower underrepresented communities to get out and active – spe- cifically people of South Asian heritage.
“We have a really good sense of belonging and fostering the more the social side of things,” he said.
“We go for coffee and cake after we run and that’s what I love about the community.
“We want to target our communities to get outdoors and enjoy running, not just for the physical aspect but for their mental wellbeing.”
LITTLE FAMILY’
Araf Mohammed, 50, said joining the group had done wonders for his mental health.
“I’ve struggled with anxiety and running alone was quite difficult for me,” he said.
“But being a part of the Muslim Runners, my anxiety has dropped a great deal. Having people around me to talk about not just running but having that community, is fantastic.
“I didn’t realise there was such a huge Muslim running community in Leicester and I got into running thinking it was going to be a short-term thing, but this has paved the way for me to run in the London Marathon.” Max China, 34, has been an avid runner for 10 years. She joined the Muslim Runners after spotting the group while taking part in Parkrun.
She said: “I used to see these guys here every week and I could sense that there was a sense of belonging.
“I feel comfortable here because usually you don’t see many people in hijabs running, so it’s so nice to see so many here.”
Describing the group as “family”, she said: “It’s nice to know that we are going to see each other on a Saturday and I look forward to it every week.”
Jazeera Farhat also took part in Parkrun. It was in 2021 she discovered the Muslim Runners.
She said: “Me and my husband had run for years because he was in the Army.
“I started running in 2009 – on and off, because of childcare responsibilities – but now we have somehow managed to stay consistent.
“It’s not easy with family and stuff, but we try to make it every Saturday.”
Speaking about her favourite thing about being a part of the group, she said: “It’s been inclusive. As a hijabi, not every community accepts you as a runner, so even when I’m running on the road, I’ll get looks from people.
“But the Muslim Runners, you don’t have that. I feel included.
“We run together, go for coffee together and share our dreams, which is nice for me because I don’t have any family here apart from my husband and kids, so when we come here, it’s like our own little family.”
The Active Inclusion Network’s mission to promote diversity and inclusion rings true for 33-year-old Homayra Sheikh.
She said: “I started running in 2016, and when I used to come to the Leicester Victoria Park Parkrun, I only saw two or three people that looked like me.
“When I first started running, my husband kept trying to encourage me to run with him, and I was reluctant at first until I saw the Leicester Half Marathon and I saw two ladies in hijabs running, and I was amazed.
“That was the first time I’d ever seen that.”
Homayra said that was the push she needed to start her running journey.
“At first, I didn’t have the confidence to get out there, but seeing the Muslim Runners community now is amazing, and we are seeing so many people coming.
“We have a lot of regular meet-ups and so many first-timers who say they feel that this is a safe space,” she said.
Newcomer to the group Zak Shahid, 39, said: “When I first joined Parkrun, I realised how many people from all sorts of backgrounds come here. It was so lovely, I even started bringing my son and I’d run with him while pushing the buggy.
“Every Saturday without fail you have something to come and look forward to.
“Belonging to something bigger than yourself, everybody is there supporting each other and no matter your experience, you have access to a network to help you with your running.”
It’s been inclusive. As a hijabi, not every community accepts you as a runner
Jazeera Farhat