WHETHER you want to emulate last weekend’s Yorkshire Marathon runners or enjoy a social jog with fellow beginners, Run York will help you make big strides towards your goal.

The progression group, set up on a voluntary basis by York St John’s University’s active development officer Richard Smith and his partner Trish Bell, meet every Monday night in front of the Marriott Hotel at 6.30pm and every Thursday evening at the Millennium Bridge, off Bishopthorpe Road, at 7pm.

A choice of two distances – typically just under three miles and approximately six miles - is then given runners, who are encouraged to complete the routes, which change on a weekly basis to ward off the threat of tedium, at their own pace.

Smith is also in the process of formalising a Friday alternative for interested members and, on Wednesday nights, he oversees a hill interval session on the cycle path near the University Science Park with a 6.30pm meeting point in front of the David Lloyd Centre on Hull Road.

On Sunday mornings at 8am, meanwhile, for those wanting to run longer distances, the Sweat Equity branch of Run York is a structured group that targets half-marathon and marathon training.

Approximately 50 or 60 people attend those sessions and 23 took part in the second running of York’s 26-mile course on Sunday.

There is a small weekly charge for Sweat Equity to cover the provision of drink and nutrition stations every five miles but, otherwise, there is no cost for the other Run York get-togethers.

At the first Yorkshire Marathon last year, the group had 61 runners with Amanda Selvaratnam one of the 36 “first-timers” who all crossed the line.

Incredibly, Selvaratnam had only started running when she joined the group six months earlier and admitted that, without Run York, she would not have been able to achieve her long-held ambition so quickly.

“Running a marathon was one of my lifetime goals but I knew I couldn’t do it on my own,” she explained. “Somebody in my office told me about Run York, though, so I went along and met a great group of people and learned how to run, because I couldn’t even make it to the end of my road and back - I was that bad.

“But, week by week, through encouragement and running along talking to people, I managed my first marathon after six months, which was amazing. I have continued running ever since but there’s no pressure in the group.

“You put as much on yourself as you want to. I knew I wanted to run a marathon, so I knew that I had to run a bit further every week but, although I am really motivated and self-determined, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the group.

“There’s no way I could have run up to 17 miles on my own. I needed somebody to run with even if I was just following them and not talking.

“When you are part of a group of 35 runners which we normally have down on evenings, it keeps you going.”

Smith would normally recommend at least a year to make the transition from non-runner to marathon competitor but devised a plan to help Selvaratnam complete that journey safely in half the time.

She has since become a team leader and has a genuine empathy with group newcomers, saying: “My role is to make sure new runners are supported and nobody gets lost.

“If anybody is struggling, it is important people are there who know a little bit about what it’s like to be a beginner or injured. I love looking after new runners because that was me 18 months ago.

“I know what a big thing it is and it’s great to see people improve as they come back week after week. You also see the health benefits as people get fitter.”

Selvaratnam enjoys the relaxed approach, meanwhile, that Run York have adopted since starting up their first sessions on Monday nights in 2008.

She added: ”We are such a friendly group and part of the appeal is social. It’s great to run and chat with like-minded people and enjoying being outside whatever the weather.

“On cold wet nights, it can be so difficult to get yourself out if you run alone but, if you know Richard is waiting for you in the pouring rain and will be on his own if nobody turns up, you know that’s not fair because he is giving up his time voluntarily, so we run in snow, fog and sleet.”

Smith also runs free seminars during the coming winter months covering subjects such as goal-setting and programming, injury management and nutrition, while Pilates classes are offered by Sweat Equity founder Janet Wood, along with discounted sports massage sessions from a qualified York Hospital therapist.

With group members having been prepared for the Vale of York half-marathon, the Great North Run and the Yorkshire Marathon this year, some are now targeting the Berlin Marathon on October 27.

After that, the emphasis will be firmly on fun with a Cup Cake Run involving a unique spot of refuelling behind the Minster and the Bah Humbug Run, which sees the group split into teams to compete against each other in a treasure hunt across the city.

“The fun runs are great before we get back to the more structured stuff again in January,” Smith explained. “We also go to Millington on the Wolds, which is a fabulous area to run and it’s only 20 minutes down the road.

“We have a big contingent at the Dalby Dash as well, which is on Remembrance Sunday and is very poignant with the two minutes’ silence.”

Smith is a qualified athletics endurance coach who also endeavours to answer, or find an answer, to any question a Run York member might put to him.

“I find it more personal and specific to the individual to get advice face-to-face rather than from a magazine or on the internet,” he reasoned.

He has also run five marathons, lots of half-marathons and too many 10Ks to count.

Explaining his motive for setting up Run York, he explained: “It’s fantastic to see people arrive as beginners and progress. A typical scenario is people will come along in the spring and tell you they want to do the Race For Life, so they do that and the next week they will tell you that they’ve signed up for the York 10K.

“Then, they might want to do longer distances but there’s absolutely no pressure on anybody to do that. It’s entirely up to the individual how far they take it.

“I’ve basically ran all my life. I was in the school cross-country team and I love getting out into the open countryside and co-ordinating these groups is brilliant to see people come along a bit nervous at the start but progress to become runners and enjoy it too.”

On the benefits of group running, he added: “You can make a lot of new friends. There is also such a range of abilities so you will always have somebody to run with and everyone goes at their own pace and enjoys it.

“On darker nights, it makes things safer too. York is a very safe city but you still have to take normal care and it’s motivational because, when you get these dark, miserable nights, knowing that the group are meeting at 7pm can get you out the door.”

Anybody wanting to join Run York can attend any of the sessions mentioned in this article or send an email to runyork@sky.com The group are also on Facebook and Twitter and have their own website at runyork.co.uk