Bath RaceRunning Club now supports 25 children and young people from across four counties - promoting active lives, achievement and fun for disabled children.
RaceRunning was originally developed in Denmark. It is already well established in Scotland and was recently accepted as a Paralympic Sport. It has though been been relatively slow to take off in the rest of the UK with only a few clubs offering regular sessions.
What is RaceRunning?
RaceRunning involves running with the support of a frame, and allows aerobic exercise for individuals with CP who have severe motor and coordination impairments. A frame is used to support the upper body and bodyweight, allowing the legs to propel the athlete forward.
Who Can Take Part?
RaceRunning is predominantly suited to those with Cerebral Palsy, although it is also suitable for those with Muscular Dystrophy and other disabilities that affect mobility and balance. The sport is suitable for children from aged 3-4 through to adulthood to enjoy recreationally and competitively.
The RaceRunning Frame
A RaceRunning frame is a three wheeled bike with no pedals, which provides support for walking or running. The low centre of gravity and frame design offers good stability and poise whilst running or walking. The saddle unit counteracts lateral sway and also can be used as a seat when resting. The frame rolls so freely that even children and adults who have been restricted to power wheelchairs have found a way to propel themselves forwards by their own efforts.
CP Sport currently run an equipment hire scheme for Race Running Frames and Game Frames (for Frame Football) for children and young people that don't have access to equipment locally.
Bath RaceRunning Club
Bath RaceRunning Club was established in 2019 with support from a local inclusive company with support from myself and the coaches. We focus primarily on recreational RaceRunning but have contacts that can be utilised for children and families interested in competitive RaceRunning. I also sit on the National Operational Group for RaceRunning to represent the voice of 'grass roots clubs'.
We try to nurture a relaxed, friendly and fun environment including disabled children and their siblings and friends to encourage those who might normally avoid participating in sport for fear of failure. The majority of our members are aged between 4 and 14 years but we don't have a strict age limit and have some older teens and young adults attending from time to time.
The club has grown significantly over the past couple of years. We started with just 1 child attending our first taster session and we now have 25 families from across four counties whose children attend regularly or intermittently. We are also working with a charity in Bristol to help start a club there.
There are so may positives to RaceRunning , not least children being able to get sweaty and out of breath through physical exercise. Sometimes I do need to turn off my inner physio to turn a blind eye to gait patterns and postures ... this is about strength and stamina … achievement and fun!
Our club highlight has to be one of our members taking part independently in her school sports day for the first time ... and winning the egg and spoon race!
RaceRunning is beginning to become more popular within England and Wales. You can visit the Bath RaceRunning Facebook page if you want to find out more about our club or please feel free to contact me if you are interested in setting up some sessions or a club in your own area.
Emily Graham
Chair, APCP South West Region Committee
Head of Children's Therapies Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust