Two worlds colliding: Creating inspiring running opportunities for sports fans

Last month, RunTogether welcomed partner, Matchroom, as a new RunTogether group and supported their latest Fight Day 5k event ahead of the Catterall vs. Barboza boxing match on 15 February. With 150 runners in attendance, the event was a huge success for all involved and received full praise from Matchroom Chairman, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing CEO, Frank Smith. RunTogether and Matchroom are excited to continue delivering pre-fight events to the Matchroom community to provide an inspiring opportunity for participants of all abilities.  

We recently caught up with Matchroom’s Head of Community Development, Alex Le Guével​​​​, to explore the impact that joining RunTogether has had on Matchroom’s community and engagement levels.  

Alex tells us that RunTogether has helped Matchroom with the logistics of organising such events, streamlining the process and contributing to its success and participant uptake: 

“Becoming a RunTogether group has significantly enhanced our community’s engagement and motivation by providing a structured, inclusive and supportive environment for runners of all levels. By aligning the Fight Day 5k with England Athletics, we’ve been able to attract new participants, particularly those who may have previously felt intimidated by running.” 

“From an organisational perspective, the RunTogether app has been a gamechanger for us as organisers and for our participants. It has made sign-ups, scheduling and pre-event communication seamless, ensuring a much smoother experience. Participants appreciate the easy booking system and session reminders, while organisers benefit from the group management tools and safety features.” 

“Overall, RunTogether has helped boost engagement, improve event coordination and create a more connected Matchroom running community.” 

Matchroom were also very pleased with the feedback from their participants and what it means for the longevity of the event and community engagement in general: 

“A common observation from our participants is that the mix of fighters, boxing personalities, casual runners, fans and wider members of the community creates an inspiring environment that keeps people engaged in running beyond just fight day.” 

Looking ahead to the future, Matchroom are excited to expand the Matchroom Run Club offering by introducing more social runs beyond fight day with the aim of helping fighters connect with their local communities and build engagement ahead of their events with the support of England Athletics coaching courses: 

“It will be exciting to get members of the Matchroom team trained up as qualified Run Leaders, removing our current reliance on the goodwill of existing Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) qualification holders in our partner run clubs.” 

“Working with RunTogether, we look forward to making running more accessible, building stronger connections between fighters and their local communities and creating bigger, more engaging Fight Day 5K events with the involvement of our partner brands.” 

Do you want to start your running journey as part of a group? Check out RunTogether or find an England Athletics affiliated club.

Prefer running alone? Why not join our virtual RUN:EA community!