Moving to a new country can be a lonely and isolating experience. So, one Abu Dhabi resident has decided to create a social running group that’s exclusively for women who want to make friends.
British national Chloe Wilson, 28, founded the ‘Stronger Together’ running club back in June this year. While her first few Friday morning runs were attended by only three to five women, it now attracts up to 50 per session. The Instagram page has also grown to 2,500+ members in less than four months.
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“It all started when I posted a call out on Instagram asking if any other women wanted to meet up for a run. I was so nervous and worried that nobody would come. But all the women who did were lovely, and we had so much fun,” Wilson told Khaleej Times.
“I then created some videos about what we were doing, and suddenly, it all blew up. I don’t know how it happened, but I started getting hundreds of messages from women who wanted to join, and my followers went from 4,000 to 10,000 in just two months. We started as a group chat, but it quickly got too big to manage and so I created a page for us instead,” she added.
‘Way to start the day’
Wilson noted: “You can tell by the interest we’ve had that there was a real need for a group like this. Some of the city’s other running groups can seem a bit intimidating or serious to some people, but we don’t try to go fast or win races.
“We are more about chatting and relaxing than hardcore training, and it’s all very upbeat. It’s a safe space where women can feel comfortable, and we always go for coffee or breakfast afterwards. It’s an incredible way to start the day.
“We get lots of looks, smiles and waves while we are running, too. After all, you don’t see many big groups of women running together in Abu Dhabi,” she added.
The group was inspired by Wilson’s desire to help herself – and other women in Abu Dhabi – make like-minded friends, and to make running in the heat more enjoyable, too.
“In my early 20s, I was a real party girl,” Wilson admitted, adding: “But I stopped drinking around three years ago as I found it was damaging my mental health. I then moved back to the UK during the pandemic, and I completely fell in love with running.
“However, when I returned to Abu Dhabi, I lost all motivation to run in the heat. I found it boring running on my own, and I was also lonely because so many of my old friends had moved away. I wasn’t interested in going to brunches and ladies’ nights, and I found it hard to make new friends who had similar interests,” Wilson shared.
Fun run and friendship
Open to women of all abilities, the group meets every Friday at 6am at various locations, including Yas Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, and the Corniche. Each session lasts around 40 minutes, and everyone is free to run as far as they want during that time.
Wilson plans to start doing weekend runs from October, and even running retreats, too.
She said: “I’ve become so close to some of our regular runners in such a short space of time, and it’s amazing to watch friendship groups forming within the group. Lots of our members have only just moved to the city, and the sessions are also a great chance to network, too. Organising it all takes up a lot of time, but it’s brought so much joy to my life already.”
Making running accessible to all
Wilson balances managing the running club with her jobs in marketing, and at Crank Abu Dhabi cycling studio.
In addition to the runs themselves, she also arranges beach days, spinning classes, and other social events for the members, while local businesses have started partnering with her to offer them discounts and freebies.
“We encourage people to walk if they want, and go at their own pace. I always make sure I’m at the back as I don’t want anybody to feel like they are being left behind, and I arrive at least half an hour early so I can introduce any first timers, too,” she added.
While the group took a break over August, she initiated a six-week summer challenge to ensure that everyone kept motivated: The winner knocked off 10 minutes from her best 5km time.
“She sent me a beautiful message saying thank you and how much the group meant to her. It was really special, and it made me very emotional.
“In fact, I’ve received so much support from other running groups and people in general. Every message I’ve had has been nothing but nice, and I’m excited to see how we will continue to grow,” said Wilson.