Stories from Frontrunners, part 2: a queer running club!

Queer friendly spaces are vital in today's world. Places for LGBTQ+ people to be their authentic selves, have important conversations, create meaningful relationships. Nowadays, queer spaces are usually associated with clubs, bars, discos and nightlife in general. However, when you’re looking for something more, where do you go? This is what I asked myself a few years ago when I moved to the UK.

I’m Mark (he/him) an It Gets Better UK Regional Ambassador based in Liverpool. When I moved to the UK about 2 years ago, I immediately looked for queer spaces - and found Liverpool Frontrunners, a global LGBTQ+ running club.

You can read more about my experiences here, but in short, it's been a brilliant community for me. To highlight the importance of queer spaces like Frontrunners, I’ve spoken with Michael and Poppy, who are both proud members of the club and the LGBTQ+ community. They have shared their experiences of being queer, and how joining clubs and running has helped improve their mental health.

Here's the second blog post in this series - featuring Poppy!

Poppy Fenn

Poppy (she/her) works in the NHS and is based in Liverpool. She is an outgoing person who describes herself as “an active girl who loves to be outside”. Poppy has been with Liverpool Frontrunners for about two years and is also now the co-chair of the committee! She participates in lots of races, half marathons and will soon be taking part in the London Marathon!

What role does running play in your life? What brought you to Frontrunners?

“I've always been a runner, ever since my sister's sports day in primary school where even though I was too young to participate, I still won the 100 metre sprint! I ran with my uncle and was a part of the cross country team in my secondary school. Running plays a massive role in my life, especially with my mental health - it instantly improves my mood and sorts me right out! I much prefer running outdoors in the daytime and controversially do not listen to music so I can get the best out of the run and it helps me relax.

“I joined the Liverpool Frontrunners about two and a half years ago! My friend joined first and encouraged me. The vibe in the group was very friendly and instantly I felt welcomed. As a woman, having a group of people running with you is a great source of comfort and the fact that it is a group of LGBT+ people is like a layer of thermal protection on top! Frontrunners is quite simply a community of meeting people through running, who have mutual interests. It's a great place to catch up and push yourself."

If Frontrunners were a place or feeling, what would it be?

“I will always associate the Liverpool Front runners with Sefton park (where we meet up every week). There is always a strong sense of community and we make sure every newcomer is welcomed and that no one is left behind by doing regular loop backs. Every week you can have great conversations with different people from diverse backgrounds.”

What makes Frontrunners different from a normal running club?

"In an LGBTQ+ running group like Frontrunners, you get to be your most authentic self. The group is filled with big personalities and characters that are allowed to shine and be comfortable with themselves. It is a very relaxed running environment with big numbers: even on a dark winter night around 30 to 40 people attend! This goes to show how friendly we are and how free our members are to be themselves."

What are some moments that stand out to you since joining Frontrunners?

“At the start, I couldn’t speak much while I was running. Over time, I learned to regulate my breathing and was able to actually speak to other members when running. Someone commented on this and I felt proud of my progress! You never usually notice your progress, then all of a sudden you’re improving your personal bests!

"Another moment that stands out is my first ever race - lots of people from Frontrunners joined! We ran the Liverpool Half Marathon and raised money for Sahir House, the Liverpool City Region's LGBTQ+ and HIV charity. It was a great feeling to run for a worthwhile cause. I have learnt to have no regrets and do as much training as you can and be happy with your personal best. With the encouragement of other Frontrunners, I was very proud of myself! In fact I’m about to run the London Marathon and I’m training with people from the club."

Are you a part of any other LGBTQ+ Friendly groups?

“I’m a part of the Penny Lane Football Club, which is an inclusive LGBTQ+ Women's club. Meeting more Lesbian/Bi/Queer women, I've had great conversations with people who share similar experiences to me. I’ve been able to make friends and make great connections! It is really nice to try new things so that more opportunities to connect with the LGBTQ+ community come up!"

What should people outside the LGBTQ+ community know?

"It is important to know that an LGBTQ+ club is for people of this community. While we have friends and family members who are allies, it is important to keep an LGBTQ+ space - where people can relate to similar experiences and have conversations about serious issues. The lack of judgement or fear of harmful rejection in these clubs allows us to feel more comfortable and confident in ourselves. So it is important to respect these kinds of spaces for LGBTQ+ people."

What would you say to someone who would want to join?

“If you’re thinking about it, the best thing to do is to just get involved! Your first run can be intimidating but you’ll quickly learn that we are very welcoming and make sure no one is left behind. You can just be yourself and hang out with some like-minded people!

"The people I met in Frontrunners make me want to go running every week. Joining the club or another LGBT+ inclusive club could change your life! Without joining the club, I wouldn’t be running races or marathons today. I would say just try it out, what's the harm!"

Finally, what would be your message to your younger self?

“The main message to my younger self would be to talk to people about how you feel. There is no point in trying to change who you are. My older sister came out before me, so I was fortunate enough to have a friendly path in front of me which helped me come out in uni. You need to embrace yourself in all areas of your life - get stuck in and don’t worry about what people are saying! I would also encourage my younger self to join LGBTQ+ spaces like Frontrunners or Sonic Yootha (a monthly queer disco in Liverpool) and more specifically queer women's spaces like Penny Lane FC! If you let yourself get out there you’ll become a co-chair of an LGBTQ+ Running club and become someone you are proud of. So go out and talk about what you’re experiencing, meet people. It’s not all about love life, it's about connection with like-minded people."

Thank you Poppy for sharing your experience!

If you are interested in finding out more about Queer Friendly sports clubs all across the UK, you can check out the following resources:

• Liverpool Frontrunners - you can also check if there are Frontrunners groups near you!

• Pride Sports has a search engine for LGBT+ Sports Clubs near you!

Just some of the Liverpool Frontrunners community!