Pull on your running shoes to get active in 2019

Get the new year off to a running start by getting fit in the fresh air.

A pair of 10-week programmes aimed at taking you from walking to running comfortably and confidently are now open for people to sign up.

The first programme is a Couch to 2km course aimed at absolute beginners and anyone who feels that a 2km distance is a more realistic target for their introduction to running than the traditional 5km.

The weekly coached group activity sessions are delivered by experienced running coaches from Live 2 Run 4 Fun and will take place in Winklebury on Monday evenings from 6pm to 7pm. The group will meet at the Hampshire Football Association car park off Winklebury Way, starting on 14 January 2019.

Participants will be given their own personal training plan, diary and course sessions information booklet. A drop-in question and answer session with the coaches will take place on Monday 7 January from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

The second programme is the traditional and slightly longer Couch to 5k course. Weekly sessions will run in the town centre, meeting at the War Memorial at the Civic Offices, on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8pm, starting on Wednesday 16 January.

Participants will receive the same resources as those participating in the Couch to 2km course and will also have access to a drop-in session with the coaches on Wednesday 9 January from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

Each course, which is supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, costs £20. For more information or to sign up, contact the coach Jon Matthews on 07757 861372 or email [email protected].

The council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Safety Cllr Simon Bound said: “These fun and supportive courses offer a fantastic opportunity to lose weight and improve your fitness, especially if you are struggling to find the motivation to undertake exercise or to train on your own.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested to sign up as soon as possible and start the new year with a new fitness regime.”

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