Sarah's Story

Castle Striders  - Shining a light on why walking matters

Over recent years, walking has grown in popularity across Jog Derbyshire, with many groups adding it as an option to their weekly sessions. A number of these have since become Walk Derbyshire groups.

Offering walking is helping to break down barriers for people who want to join their local group, and it’s enabling more individuals to experience the benefits of being part of a supportive community. Jogging may not be for everyone – but community is!

Walking is becoming a key part of how groups reach new participants, strengthen social connections, and create welcoming environments where everyone can take part in a way that works for them by offering a more accessible entry point to physical activity and options to progress in well supported, friendly and familiar surroundings.

At a recent co-leader training session, we heard Castle Striders Bolsover participant Sarah share that she started out with the walking group, later progressed to the couch to 5K programme, was now preparing to become a co leader to support others. We were keen to learn more about Sarah’s journey and to understand why walking groups play such an important role so we took the opportunity to ask her about her experience.

Starting out

“What made you join the walking group in the first place? “

“7 Years ago, I moved from the Southeast to Mansfield, when living in the South I completed a C25K in 2019 with my local running group. A few years went on living here I had become unfit & was looking to get myself moving again. It took a while but 2.5 years ago I found Striders & joined the walking group”

“How did you feel when you first joined?”

“I was unsure what it would be like at first & if the group would be welcoming as I knew no one up here. I had no need to worry as the group was amazing, so friendly & welcomed everyone. I noticed it was split into running groups too.”

Walking group experience

“What was the vibe of the walking group?”

“Everyone was walking & chatting, everyone knew each other and the leader would ask how we all were. There were also dogs too, which was lovely to see. Although I knew no one I have never felt left out. The different routes planned each week are great too as it shows the leaders work hard to keep it exciting.”

“When did you first notice changes in yourself?”

“Unfortunately I had gotten quite overweight & stopped coming walking due to being quite conscious I was getting out of breath. This made me start to lose weight & in the last year I lost 5 stone, came back to walking again along with other fitness.”

From walking to jogging

“How did the walking group help you feel ready to try jogging?”

“With my weight loss I did swimming, gym & walking. I was feeling fitter, more confident & happier.”

“Was there a specific moment or person that encouraged you to take the next step?”

“Having completed a C25K well over 7 years ago, when Strider’s advertised their C25K I signed up straight away as I loved the running before & I wanted to do this again specifically before I reached 50!”

“What was your first jogging session like? “

“The first session was fantastic, the group of Striders, Chris & Carol were amazing. We followed the C25K NHS App to guide us.”

“How did the jogging group help you to keep going? “

“I could only attend 1 per week with the group due to work but I did the other 2 sessions on my own, first off at the gym & then built the confidence to complete outside.”

“What milestones have you hit? “

“The C25K graduation was my biggest achievement as it was my first 5K, I then completed a Race for Life for my father-in-law who passed away a few weeks ago which made the whole experience even more important, another achievement was at race for life when they called all runners that can run 5K in less than 40 minutes, I was super happy as that was me.

I hit my 50th & I have been attending Striders each week since & often twice. I hit a PB whilst running in Portugal on holiday of 33 minutes back in May.

I ran my furthest distance on Sunday which was 8.5K & have signed up for 2 10K’s in the next few months. I have also been attending Park Runs for the last 4 weeks, which I love. I do run a lot on my own, but this is only because I like to clear my head & it helps with my mental health. I might not be the chatty one whilst running but I love to see everyone at the beginning & the end.”

Impact

“How has your confidence changed from day one to now? “

“It has given me so much confidence as although I am older, I am much fitter & can run faster than I did 7 years ago. I am also happy to run at the speed I do with no pressure to run faster. Having the different groups at Striders is wonderful for this. The way all leaders, especially in the green group, run to make sure everyone is okay.”

“Why do linked walking and jogging groups matter? “

“Offering both walking & running/jogging makes it very inclusive & you have the option to progress into different groups if you choose too. It helps if you’re starting out with fitness to have a walking group & having C25K a couple of times a year is an excellent idea as it allows people to move through the groups. Walking is an underestimated form of fitness which is important & should be available to as many people as possible.”

“If you had to describe your journey in one word what would it be? “

“PROUD!!”

“What message would you give about the value of groups like Castle Striders?”

“ Striders is the best group I have been apart of, the sense of community, the team work, the inclusivity, the motivation given by the leaders & their passion to make the club a success, it’s infectious that you want to be part of it & proud to be. Thank you to David, Chris & Carol for their support & encouragement on my journey.”

When David Senior, group leader and founder of Castle Striders set the group up several years ago, he told us -

 “My motivation for Castle Striders is to pass on the feelings I’ve got from running. We’re determined for people to get the benefits not just for themselves but for their families and friends.”

We think it is safe to say he has achieved his mission and some! Well done David!

Moving forwards

Walking will continue to be an integral part of Jog Derbyshire, working closely with Walk Derbyshire we hope to expand the number of groups offering it and highlight its importance through weekly sessions and wider initiatives such as #Runwalktalk.

#Runwalktalk events aim to break down barriers to activity and promote inclusive opportunities where everyone can be active together, in their own way, within their local communities.

To learn more about #Runwalktalk follow the link to see an event we hosted earlier in the year in North East Derbyshire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-g49uDAkU

Next stop Bolsover Autumn 2026!