Why more runners are embracing a slower pace
REPORT
5 Oct 2023
Why more runners are embracing a slower pace

Running has long been a sport governed by the clock. But everyday athletes are challenging the sport’s fixation with fast pace and defining personal bests on their own terms. As people of all ages, bodies, and abilities take up running, how can brands forge a more inclusive running landscape?

Leeanne Adu

Leeanne Adu is the captain of London-based inclusive running group, Backpackers, which she founded alongside wellbeing coach Chevy Rough in 2017. Since its founding, the group has created a home for runners who feel excluded from faster-paced London running clubs, as well as providing official back-of-the-pack pacers for events such as the Hackney Half and the Oxford Half Marathon. Adu is also the founder of Lava The Agency, which provides virtual business support to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Elly Salamanca

Elly Salamanca is a running influencer who shares her experiences as a self-proclaimed 'big girl' and slow runner to a significant TikTok following. Salamanca is on a mission to raise awareness that anyone can be a runner.

Lottie Hanwell

Lottie Hanwell is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in English Literature and Spanish, and spends a lot of time thinking, researching and writing about developments in society and culture. On her weekends, she likes to run, read and make a mess in the kitchen.