On a bracing, but sunny, Thursday morning we joined the Sanctuary Runners for an out-and-back 8km run past the Marina. After meeting in the pay-what-you-can Fitzherbert Hub cafe, we were introduced to Nick who runs the club. Sanctuary Runners is an inclusive environment, focussing on integration and social bridging, to bring together people from all backgrounds but particularly to help integrate those who have arrived seeking sanctuary and safety. Nick's is training the group for a 10km run in April, and there were all levels of abilities ranging from walkers to those running a quick pace.

Everyone did at least 15 minutes out and then another 15 back at their own paces, and we reconvened for a delicious meal in the cafe afterwards. The cafe is all run by volunteers from the Real Junk Food Brighton project and the food was delicious.

The Sanctuary Runners are going to continue running every Thursday (plus other days too) in the lead-up to their big event, so we'll have plenty more opportunities to run with them!

Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity-through-sport initiative founded in Ireland and launched in Brighton by Tim Holtan in July 2024. It uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all residents - a Good Initiative, that Brighton GoodGym is happily partnering with.

Usually, we run alongside other Brighton Sanctuary Runners at Saturday's Preston Park parkruns.

We are now also running together at their Thursday's weekday session as an additional opportunity to share our 'Solidarity, Friendship and Respect' by bringing Our Smile to ALL, including whom arrived in our city seeking safety and sanctuary.

Yesterday was a special gathering for Brighton Sanctury Runners with its extended family of other community runners and walkers in Brighton & Hove, including pro-marathon runners from London Marathon Events and our friends from Run & Rave, who brought spark and music to our 5K evening run altogether on the Brighton seafront. The inspiring welcoming words of Joe and Graham, one of the founders of Sanctuary Runner, and even more warming living testimony of our friend and table tennis player, Alban, strengthened our sense of togetherness in bridging the gap among culture and language diversities thought our shared passion for moving united!

We could not miss this, in full GoodGym spirit, so Stefania and Sarah happily joined the run with this new Brighton family and the after-run celebration with a Good feast prepared by our other friends of the Real Junk Food Project.

We will be back soon here for another GoodGym Brighton’s community group run and mission!

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