London Frontrunners founding member Mark Forrest reflects on the club’s birth in 1995 and how it developed over the following years.
The seed that grew into London Frontrunners was planted in Chicago.
My partner Richard was working at Northwestern University. I spent summer 1994 in the Windy City, running with Frontrunners Chicago along the paths that border Lake Michigan.
When I left to return to the UK, I promised that if I ever moved to London, I would start the UK’s first Frontrunners club.
Our first run was in Hyde Park
In January 1995 I secured a job in the capital.
I placed a couple of press ads, answered others from runners wanting training partners, and in February 1995 the first London Frontrunners run took place in Hyde Park.
The early members were mainly US visitors who were Frontrunners back home.
I modelled London Frontrunners on the Chicago club.
We would meet at a recognisable landmark at the same time every week. I chose the Statue of Achilles at Hyde Park Corner, Saturdays at 10am.
We would form a circle, make announcements, introduce ourselves, run and go for breakfast.
A café served as our changing room
In Chicago everyone arrived by car and was already changed. This was not so easy in London.
I persuaded the security guards at Virgin Radio in Golden Square, which was where I worked, to look after our bags. But this meant a mile run back into Soho from Hyde Park before eating, and was not popular.
We moved to Gino’s café in Shepherd Market. This had the advantage of being 5 minutes from Achilles and had an unused first floor which served as a bag drop, changing room and post-run breakfast venue.
We established ourselves in the running community
For the first two years I ran the club on my own without a committee.
A running friend designed our first T-shirt with the Big Ben and pink triangle logo. This also became the banner for our first Pride march in 1996.
We registered with UK Athletics and joined the Metropolitan Cross Country League.
Thanks to our first running vest – which boasted bright pink sidebars and a rainbow flag – we started to establish ourselves in the wider running community.
We began offering runs on different days
Leaving bags in cafés ended when we secured our first changing rooms and showers at Imperial College in South Kensington.
We moved the Saturday run start from the Achilles statue to the Albert Memorial and began offering runs of 2, 4 and 6 miles.
In May 1997 we held an AGM and formed a committee, electing female and male co-Presidents for the first time.
Camden provided changing facilities at Mornington Leisure Centre and the Wednesday run in Regents Park began.
Mondays followed from St Thomas’ Hospital on the South Bank, and then Thursdays from Marshall St in Soho.
My link to London Frontrunners continues
From the start London Frontrunners has always aimed to combine training and competition with social events, and the first weekend away was held at Easter 1997.
We walked a section of the Coast to Coast from Kirkby Stephen over Nine Standards Rigg into Swaledale.
This part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is now home for me and Richard and the link to London Frontrunners continues.
For the last 15 years, a group of runners has come to stay in our village every July to race, cycle, wild swim and party.
It’s a highlight of my year. Come and see us soon.