Our Run Club


We started the Hard Lines Run Club online as a Strava run club during the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped us stay connected to our cafe customers, many of whom had started running during the lockdown. It became a supportive space for people to motivate, keep in touch, and encourage each other through the shared love of running and eventually, meet and run together. 

Our Run Club now meets every week of the year at the Hard Lines cafe in Cardiff at 6.30 pm every Thursday, rain or shine, with around 40 runners joining us each week. New members are welcome and it’s always free. You can find out more via our Run Club Page. Grab your trainers and join us!

The Challenge


We noticed a drop in the number of female runners coming to our run club during the autumn and winter months.  Research suggests that women stop running outside during Winter when the nights draw in and exercising post-work is no longer an option as they feel less safe running in the dark. As club organisers, we want to ensure all runners are as safe as possible, especially those identifying as female. So, we asked our own Run Club whether they shared the concerns highlighted in the research. The response was eye-opening and showed us it was an area with the potential to make improvements. 

This coincided with the launch of our social action programme Ground Level, therefore we decided to make the safety of our running community our first project, which became ‘Running in the Dark

Read on to find out more about this project…

Phase 1
Benchmarking Survey

We created a short online benchmarking survey which we published via the Run Club WhatsApp group. It asked our runners how they felt about running during the winter months and to give their feedback on what we could do to make Run Club a safer place. This meant we could tailor our actions to what our running community needed, including our female-identifying members.

One of the key findings was that 100% of our male-identifying runners feel safe when running in the dark compared to just 30% of our female-identifying runners.

“It’s so helpful to have a friendly, welcoming and inclusive group to run with in winter, it can feel unsafe and limit areas you can run in when it’s dark as a woman. This means I get at least one run in when I don’t have to worry”  Female-identifying runner, Hard Lines Run Club

Phase 2
Finding a Partner

40% of our runners suggested the use of head torches would contribute to feelings of safety when out running in the dark. We knew this was something we wanted to provide, so we created a pitch deck and contacted local businesses to support.

We were delighted to welcome FenixLight UK onboard as a collaborator. They sponsored 20 Fenix head torches plus illuminating bands which have made a big difference; lighting routes for the run club as well as other runners on the same route. We give the head torches out at the beginning of each run and collect them at the end.

“The fact (the head torches are) available at the sessions for everyone to use is a real plus – it takes the thought out of it, makes the whole group visible, and sets a good standard for running safety.” 
- Female-identifying runner, Hard Lines Run Club  

We also put in place…

• Head counts at the beginning and end
• Run leaders to set paces and points
• Pre-publish routes ahead of runs

Phase 3
Ready, Set, Go!

We aim to make our weekly run a viable option for all runners, especially women who want to run at night. Runners join us for many different reasons, to socialise, to get healthier, to build friendships, and to try something new. We need to make sure this space is as welcoming and safe as possible. We want to create a space where everyone feels safe.

“Of course I can only speak for myself, but running with a group and not having to worry about what route you take etc has been a weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s great to be able to just relax and get to know others in the group. Another benefit is the community that we have within HLRC and how willing people are to run together outside of just the Thursday runs. We regularly have people getting together on weekends, or encouraging attendance at other clubs on other days of the week, which gives people lots of options to never have to run alone.” - Female-identifying runner, Hard Lines Run Club

What's Next?

Our aim is to make our weekly run a viable option for all runners, especially women who want to run at night. Runners join us for many different reasons, to socialise, to get healthier, build friendships, and to try something new. We need to make sure this space is as welcoming and safe as possible. We want to create a space where everyone feels safe.

“The group has a really welcoming and supportive vibe. Running on your own in the dark as a woman doesn’t always feel safe, and having friendly faces to run with helps remove that barrier” - Female-identifying runner, Hard Lines Run Club

“Head torches have been an amazing addition to the club for a couple of reasons. They allow members to identify the leaders better, especially now that when we set off, it's dark. Additionally, it gives more confidence to the leaders, knowing that if they are at the front/back/middle it’s easier for bikers and other pedestrians to see the group, which gives us more confidence in our ability to keep the group safe! I think another benefit is that people who run on their own outside the group have realised the benefit, and now use them on their own too!” Female-identifying runner, Hard Lines Run Club (leader)

We want to lead by good example, and continually assess and adjust our practices to ensure we do all we can.

Our aims for the future are to: 
• Encourage more female runners to become Run Club Leaders
• Make sure there’s plenty of opportunities for feedback to make things better
• Make sure run leaders are consistently briefed on safety protocols 
• Follow up survey next winter to understand impact 

Tips for making Run Club
a safe space for all

• Listen to run club members
• Appoint dedicated run club leaders
• Supply high-vis jackets 
• Do head counts at the beginning and end of each run 
• Pre-publish your routes 
• Start planning early so you’re ready to launch your plan in autumn
• Consistency is key

If you’ve read this and want to do something similar, have any questions about the project, or have tips and ideas to share, we’d love to hear from you! You can drop us an email at people@hard-lines.co.uk. 

Special Thanks To
Jamie Bowen at FenixLight Uk
Everyone at the Hard Lines Run Club 
Resources
White Ribbon UK,
Womens Aid
261 Fearless
Project PT Run Club