Socially-minded running group

• Date: 08 July 2021
• Published date: 08 July 2021

The Good Trot running club assembles at the Good Drop in Durham St every Thursday evening at 6pm.

They don high-visibility vests and head lamps before setting off on a group run along the pavements around Rangiora township before returning to the craft beer and cider fillery for a beer and a burger from the ALT Kitchen next door.

‘‘The goal of the club is to improve our running in a social and friendly environment. Everyone is welcome,’’ organiser Jo Ramsay, who is also the North Canterbury Athletic Club’s coach, says.

The idea for the club came from Jo’s partner, Chris Van Rensburg, who is new to running and wanted to see a ‘‘fun running group’’ established in Rangiora.

Jo set about designing a good training module that would be suitable for runners of all fitness levels.

She came up with an hour-long run done in four segments, which enables each runner to run as fast or as slow as they want to and it is not competitive.

The emphasis is on sociability and everyone in the club supports each other.

One of the regular runners, Fernside’s Natasha Mitchell, who has run in the New York City Marathon twice, says the Good Trot club consists of a ‘‘really great group of people’’ at all fitness levels, but anyone considering...