Mental Health Awareness Week starts on the 12th May, and the potential benefits of physical activity on our mental health are well known. Well Run Brum aims to get men’s mental wellness on track through social running. Richard Loftus launched the initiative last year. We spoke to him about the group, and his experience of the Activity Finder.
How did Well Run Brum come about?
I set-up Well Run Brum because I really wanted to build a support network. A community, and I saw that it could serve a greater purpose because it wasn’t something that only I needed. The statistics around men’s mental health support that.
The tiny thing that unravels your world is the best way to describe the gradual decline in my mental health. By the time things had reached a crisis point, not only was I unable to articulate what was happening but I also couldn’t say how I’d got there. There wasn’t anything remarkable about the day I called the GP and sobbed on the phone to the receptionist that I couldn’t cope with life anymore. In fact, I felt completely unremarkable. I felt weak. I felt exhausted. I felt lost. I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed.
It was a few weeks later, having been signed off work and allowed time to do absolutely nothing, that I felt the urge to move. I’d run irregularly in the years before but during this time I formed a habit. A positive habit. I found a freedom in running that silenced my mind. And when I started running with other people, I found that freedom transfer to being able to talk openly and honestly about what I was going through and how I was feeling.
In no uncertain terms, running has been transformative for my mental health.
What happens at your free fortnightly social runs?
Well Run Brum is a movement which brings all abilities together to get men’s mental wellness on track through social running in Birmingham. These free-to-access fortnightly 5KM runs provide social support for men at a conversational pace. Each run begins with a guest speaker – a pace maker for the conversation – providing inspiration and motivation before setting off on a 5KM run around the city.
We had some amazing speakers join us through 2024 including double Paralympian Darren Harris, BBC Gladiators’ Giant, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Kit Holder and Sudanese Olympic sprinter Sadam Koumi.
How can people who are interested get involved?
You can find @wellrunbrum on Instagram and Strava, where all the runs are listed. Hit follow on both accounts for regular updates.
You can also check out www.wellrunbrum.co.uk, and of course, the fortnightly runs are also listed on the Activity Finder.
In what ways can running impact physical and mental health?
Men are typically socialised in a manner that dissuades them from acknowledging or displaying vulnerability. From my own experience of that, I know it can lead to greater moments of crisis.
1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year, with men being far less likely to seek help. A YouGov survey commissioned by Mind found that most men’s preferred alternatives to being prescribed medication are face-to-face therapy and physical activity. In Birmingham, 260,000 people are inactive, representing 30% of the population – this is higher than the national average. The health cost of this inactivity is £21.9m.
Not only do men say that physical activity is there preferred alternative to prescribed medication, regular participation in sport and physical activity has shown to have significant benefits on both our physical and mental health.
Well Run Brum’s current output is already demonstrating there is a need and the high rate of re-attendance reflects the community movements ability to deliver impact. One participant recently commented: “It is one of the things I look forward to every two weeks.”
What were your reasons for signing up to the Activity Finder?
It’s a great way to build the Well Run Brum community on a platform where people are looking for ways they can keep active in the city. I hope it helps reach more men looking for a safe space for conversation around their mental wellness to get involved in the fortnightly social runs.
Please can you describe your experience of the Activity Finder sign up process and ease of use?
It’s so easy to create your first event – after that, it’s as simple as duplicating it and editing where necessary.
Mind have a wide range of resources and guidance around mental health and physical activity. Click here for more information.