Leading From The Front
The London Frontrunners offer members of the LGBT community a place to make friends and get fit
LGBT club London Frontrunners
THE 1974 BOOK THE FRONT RUNNER, about an love affair between a male running coach and a male athlete, is noted for being the first contemporary gay novel to achieve mainstream success. But it also had an impact on the running community: it inspired the launch of The Frontrunners movement the same year.
The London branch, founded in 1995, is now the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) sports club in Europe, with more than 500 members. ‘Back in the mid-1990s, it was even more difficult to be openly gay in a sporting environment,’ says club co-president Richard Wingfield. ‘So part of the club’s mission statement was to provide a safe space for members of the LGBT community who are interested in running.’
The running element is important to the club, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. ‘We’re not just focused on your ability as an athlete, we’re focused on you as an individual,’ says Richard. ‘We’re interested in people developing friendships and we emphasise the importance of mental as well as physical health.’
This attitude was noticed by Neil Colquhoun, when he came to his first track session five years ago. ‘I think it can be quite intimidating for a parttime runner to join a club,’ he says. ‘A lot of the websites of more traditional running clubs looked a bit serious, whereas the Frontrunners made sure I had someone to run with, and then I got invited to the pub afterwards.’
It was a similar story with Kirsty Fitzgerald, who went along to her first Frontrunners session shortly after moving to London from Chester. ‘In London, it’s hard to make new friends,’ she says. ‘The Frontrunners quickly became my social life. We’ve always got races or training to chat about, and we’ve been away on lots of international trips where we’ve met Frontrunners from other countries.’
That’s the beauty of Frontrunners: it’s not a single running club so much as a global network – the London branch has regular visitors from around the world. ‘Most running clubs are defined by geography,’ says Neil. ‘We’ve got that other connection that spans cities and countries.’
Could traditional clubs do more to make themselves more Lgbt-friendly? ‘I wouldn’t say running is particularly homophobic,’ says Richard, ‘but I think there’s still a need for that safe space, particularly if you’re just coming out, are new to London or are moving to the UK from a country where you were not out. We have members from the Middle East, for example, for whom the club can act as a stepping stone before they move to more neutral spaces.’
The Frontrunners are also leading the way in supporting trans people. 'The clear division of men and women in running can make [trans people] feel uncomfortable,' says Richard. 'We’re working hard to ensure we have strong trans policies in place, to make sure our trans members are comfortable coming in and getting changed.'
Whatever your gender or sexual orientation, if you’re tolerant and openminded, you’ll be welcome at the Frontrunners.