The Penwortham Pavement Plodders out to put smiles on faces

“It wasn’t a New Year’s resolution or anything, I just wanted to find an exercise I could do at my own pace and which was flexible enough to fit around general life,” says Nic. “I’d never been a runner but I had a few friends who had done it, so I just thought ‘I’ll give it a go’.”

As a resident of Higher Penwortham, Liverpool Road soon became Nic’s go-to location for her jogs and she soon noticed how popular it was with other runners, too. The sheer volume of fellow pavement pounders out and about surprised her, and gave her an idea.

“I’d noticed quite a few people out running and I just thought it’d be cool to say hello to each other and create a community,” says Nic, who is from Penwortham. “I didn’t want it to be like Preston Harriers or anything, I just wanted to create a societal support group.”

The idea caught like wildfire, and Penwortham Pavement Plodders was born.

“It just took off amongst everyone, from people doing Couch to 5k to seasoned race runners,” explains Nic, 41, who founded the PPP Facebook group in mid-February. Now with more than 200 members and counting, the burgeoning community is embracing runners, joggers, and plodders of all variations, from complete newbies to veritable Mo Farahs, every day.

Nic herself stuck with the Couch to 5k programme, logging her first 5km run just before lockdown. “It was just so easy and I couldn’t believe I was running that distance,” she says, hoping that PPP will continue to embolden others to follow in her footsteps. “Getting to my 5k target has given me the motivation to carry on because I’ve put all the effort in so I want to keep it up.

“It’s so encouraging knowing there are other people out there in the same boat as you, it’s really motivational,” adds Nic. “I’m not a fitness fanatic and I didn’t want to have to keep up with other people, and I think that’s what people like about the group.

“It’s about community and support and there’s no pressure, it’s all about getting out there.”

Having grown organically into a real feelgood community outlet, the PPP group gives local runners a place to connect with one another and offer supportive feedback, as well as share tips, good routes, and places to avoid.

The group is there, as Nic puts it, so that people can ‘give each other a little nod as we plod on by!’

“The social benefits of having those online interactions during Covid has been huge, too,” continues Nic, with some people sharing screenshots of their runs from the workout app Strava, prompting support from other members. “With people posting their runs, others can see that it’s not about running marathons: whatever pace or distance you do, you’re still out there running.”

Formalising her burgeoning community of pavement plodders, Nic has also created badges for runners to wear whilst they’re out and about so that fellow PPP members can spot one another and give a little wave or say hello. Prior to lockdown, a few members were also planning to meet-up for a brew.

“Hearing people saying that the group has got them out the door and running is amazing,” says Nic.”I exercise more for my mental health and I know how much better it can make me feel, especially in lockdown when it can get a bit frantic at home.

“It can be so hard to get out at times, but when you’re out there you feel so much better for it, so there’s a lot of pride in being involved in something which is helping people. It’s all come from a little idea to encourage people to have a wave and say hello to other people and put a smile on someone’s face,” adds Nic.

“I’m so proud of how popular it’s become.”