Run Your Mind: How joining a club can improve mental wellbeing

The current boom in running is not only extremely healthy for the nation’s physical health, but also mental health – with running groups and clubs around the country enabling people to enjoy our sport together.  

Initially starting as a free run club, Run Your Mind has taken running and mental health one step further as a social enterprise, delivering workshops and talks in corporate spaces on topics such as self-talk, burnout, resilience, and myths of motivation. We recently caught up with founder, Chris Hatfield, to explore the importance of having an active space for people to speak up about their mental wellbeing.  

Chris tells us how his running journey began and where the idea for Run Your Mind came from: 

“Running is something I only took up at the start of last year, I always told myself ‘I’m not a runner’. I started to challenge that limited belief and instead asked myself what I could do to become a runner. It started with a small run which then snowballed into regular running, pacing for another run club, and then recently starting my own!” 

“I saw the power that running clubs could have on creating communities and creating opportunities for people to feel part of something. I also felt there were more opportunities for providing people with a space to talk and, as the tagline of Run Your Mind goes, work on their minds, not just their mileage.” 

Mental health lies at the core of Run Your Mind’s ethos as well as in Chris’ life, with his own mental health struggles are what encouraged him to start the club and pursue something he felt passionate about: 

“I know what it’s like to struggle with anxiety, and I also know how difficult it can be to speak up about it. I feel it’s not spoken about enough, not understood in the right ways, and also isn’t worked on proactively. This is everything I want to tackle in the work I do and the running club I created.” 

“I wanted to create a space where people could open up and talk without the pressure of sitting in a formal setting. In Run Your Mind, the community votes on a different topic each week and before their run takes a pre-written question linked to that topic to ask one another whilst out for a conversational 5km run. This combination of running and talking makes it easier for people to talk about mental health in a natural way and normalises the conversations around it.” 

“I’ve had people tell me that these runs are the first time they’ve been able to open up about things they’ve been holding in for years. Whether it’s giving someone the confidence to talk, helping them shift their mindset, or simply offering a sense of belonging, these sessions make a real impact.” 

It is well known that mental health can have a massive impact on performance. So, we wanted to find out from Chris what he believed is the biggest mental challenge runners of all ages are faced with and  how the club can help, he explained: 

“One issue is comparison. Whether it’s in-person or online, runners often measure themselves against others in terms of pace, distance, and achievements, and that can be mentally exhausting. Social media, Strava, and races can make it easy to feel like you’re “not fast enough” or “not doing enough” but running should be about what works for you.” 

Chris also expresses the importance of initiating conversations around mental health in work and school settings:

“The earlier we can normalise conversations around mental wellbeing, the better. Young people are facing more mental health challenges than ever, and many don’t have the tools or safe spaces to talk about it.” 

“Running is one of the most accessible and effective ways to improve mental well-being. For young people, it’s also a chance to disconnect from screens and reconnect with themselves.” 

“Whether it’s running with friends, using it as a way to process emotions, or simply experiencing the endorphins that come from moving, running can be a powerful mental tool.” 

30 in 30 challenge 

Starting 8 March 2025, Chris will be running 30 half marathons over 30 days for the Mental Health Foundation charity. To represent the 2 in 3 people bottling up how they feel, 20 of Chris’ 30 half marathons will be conversational, where people can join Chris for a chat for as long as they wish. Chris has managed to raise an impressive £1,436 so far!