England Athletics celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week

This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May) - a topic very important to all at England Athletics.

As sports, athletics and running don't only have the power to support you physically, but can have great mental benefits. A YouGov survey into the positive impact of exercise showed that adults need to exercise for 9 minutes and 44 seconds to start to experience positive endorphins - the runner's high is definitely a real thing!

Throughout the week we are going to be sharing some fantastic content, resources and stories from the England Athletics, RunTogether and funetics communities - here's a sneak peek of what's to come.

NEW podcast episode with two-time Paralympic Champion, Richard Whitehead MBE

We caught up with Richard Whitehead MBE in the middle of his 100 career marathon challenge to look over his outstanding achievements to date and learn more about how mental health can impact elite athletes. You can listen below, or search for England Athletics Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud.

Creating a connected community with Boro Runners

We recently visited Regional Volunteer Awards Community Project of the Year winners, Boro Runners. Since their foundation in 2023, the club has gone from strength to strength growing to over 100 runners. During the last three years, they have put community, fun and social connection at the heart of their club, welcoming runners of all abilities to join their family.

Mental Health Champions Michael and Sue - ready to support you

We caught up with Sue Palmer, Hastings Runners, and Michael Beasley, Stone Master Marathoners, to find out more about how running has impacted their own mental health and how they have supported their running groups.

If you would like to find out more about the role of Mental Health Champions, or learn about the application process, visit our link below.

CEO Chris Jones reflects on his own mental health and the support available

England Athletics' CEO, Chris Jones, talks about his historic struggles with his own mental health and the role that sport and the arts has played in supporting him throughout his life. Chris also explains some of the work England Athletics have been doing with the British government to ensure that sport and mental health are at the forefront of their policy making.