Introducing: Stephen Fillis

I have been involved in running since school. My earliest memories are representing Coleraine Inst at cross country and track. Once leaving school I spent a number of years playing football, however running always remained something I loved to do even if it was more for fitness than competition.  In my late 20’s I decided to run a half marathon in Nottingham followed by Belfast Marathon to raise money for charity. After this I was immediately hooked back into running. I had got the bug!!

I shifted away from football altogether and signed up for a few marathons over the coming years (currently on 14) and joined Springwell Running Club. From here I wanted to know more about the sport and improve my times. So, I decided to complete my LIRF & CIRF courses and attend many workshops. I could see my own times improve and now wanted to help others not just improve times but discover that love of the sport.

The birth of RunFit Causeway came through some friends asking me if I would start up a beginner’s group as they felt intimidated by “running clubs”. So, I ran a 6-week trial and we had 10 runners complete the program. From here everyone wanted it to continue and we have continued to grow over the past 3 years.

 We meet on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings at various parks, forests and beaches around Coleraine and the North Coast. We also have a runner’s strength and mobility class indoors on a Thursday evening. We welcome all abilities from beginners to those wanting to run personal bests.

I would best describe our group as a community where we create friendships, socialize and have fun whilst improving our fitness and running.

For the future we hope to continue to grow our community and provide a fun & safe environment for locals to discover a love of running.

Over the past year I think we can all agree that exercise, being outdoors close to nature and socializing are all great not only for our physical health but our mental health. Our sessions hopefully tick all those boxes and provide a much-needed service to the local community.