Murphy’s Lore Sam finds joy in being part of a group. In the rain

There are times when I set off for my running-group sessions with less enthusiasm than I’d like. It might be because I’m tired, or stressed, or have had to reluctantly tear myself away from something else. I’m the coach, so I can’t choose to give it a miss – a fact that I have occasionally been known to bemoan. But last night, it struck me that I have it easy. It was yet another cold, dark, wet evening and I wasn’t feeling the love as I gathered all the necessary paraphernalia – head torch, reflective bib, waterproof jacket, hat and gloves. No one in their right mind will come out in this, I thought, morosely. But when I turned into the car park, my headlights picked out the high-vis colours and torch beams of runners making a dash through the rain to our meeting point, where others were already jigging about to stay warm, amid chat, laughter and hugs. They, too, I realised, might be tired, stressed or busy. They, too, peered out of the window and saw wintry darkness and relentless rain. But, unlike me, they had a choice about whether to come running or stay at home – a choice they face every Monday, Wednesday or Saturday. And that makes their decision to come – and to keep on coming – all the more uplifting. As on so many other occasions, I went home from the run feeling better than when I’d arrived.

I believe one of the strongest motivations behind these runners’ decisions to come along, even when they’re not sure they’re up for it, is being part of a group. Belonging to a running community – be it a club, group, local parkrun or simply a bunch of training buddies – makes running greater than the sum of its parts. It’s no longer just a workout; it’s a catch-up with friends, a counselling session, a laugh, a shared experience, a break from work or kids. It provides a space to share your running triumphs and disappointments, to be congratulated and consoled, and, just as important, to congratulate and console others.

That’s what those bemused people – who step aside as you pass them on the pavement, or who wave you across the road from their cars – don’t understand.

All they can see is a bunch of crazy people wearing fluorescent yellow and running in the rain.

Research has long shown the likelihood of staying motivated is higher when exercise takes place in a group setting. The reasons are many. A study at the University of Southern California found people enjoy physical activity more when they are with others and are more likely to keep it up over the long term. There’s also an element of social facilitation (an improvement in performance as a result of others being present) – an ‘I’m not going to let X beat me on this hill’ attitude that drives you to push harder than you’d work on your own and yields a greater sense of achievement. And research by Strava in 2017 found running in a group made runners go faster and further. Using data from 90 million runs taking place all over the world, Strava found that the average pace of runs taking place in a group was seven seconds per mile quicker than solo runs, and the distance covered was an average of 1.3 miles further.

But even when you’re just not up for pushing yourself – when turning up at all is an effort – a group’s support can carry you a lot further than you’d have got on your own. And if you don’t turn up? Being part of a group means your absence will not go unnoticed. You feel accountable

(all those ‘where were you tonight?’ messages pinging on your phone) but you also feel valued and cared for.

I joke about people being more motivated to come to my running sessions by the tea and biscuits afterwards than by the running itself. There’s probably some truth in that, but it doesn’t matter. Those laughterand chatter-filled minutes before we begin and after we finish might not show up on our Strava feeds, but they are every bit as important as the running in between.