Girls just wanna run

For members of Runner Girls India, the monsoon only means it's time to brace themselves for longer, cooler runs

Girls just wanna run

For members of Runner Girls India, the monsoon only means it's time to brace themselves for longer, cooler runs

German translator, Sabine Tietge, thought it was time for a women's-only running group in the city, after seeing the encouraging response to the fortnightly runs organised by running community, Runners For Life, a chapter of the Bangalore-based recreational management company, The Fuller Life.

Members of the Runners' club

The idea soon picked up, and Runner Girls India now has branches in cities including Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai, besides Mumbai. The idea is to create a fun, social and non-competitive atmosphere that allows women to just show up and go for a run.

The women who took the initiative to get in touch with the Bangalore group, feel responsible to push, encourage and organise runs in the hope of encouraging more women to choose running as a way to introduce fun and fitness into their lives.

One of these women is Natasha Ramanathan, who works with an NGO, and believes that the monthly runs have helped in more ways than just improving fitness levels. "Sure we burn calories, but bonding is a large part of Runner Girls. Running with women fills one with a sense of ease, belonging and fun!" says Natasha.

Members include lawyers, scientists, moms and activists between the ages of 25 to 53, with varying fitness levels. The only objective is to complete a five to seven-kilometre run, and go out for a big breakfast after that. Past runs have been in around RA colony, Borivali National Park, Juhu Beach and Marine Drive.

Since November 2010, when the group first began, they meet on the second Saturday of each month and publicize details like the time and location of the run through their Facebook page. Their only dream is for their group to be as popular, as it is in Bangalore, which has over 100 women taking part in their fortnightly runs.

The group is keen to increase the frequency of runs to twice a month. Preferably one in the western suburbs, and one in south Mumbai, so as to encourage runner girls from all over the city to join.

What are you waiting for! Grab your running gear and fly through the monsoon. And if you slip and fall, there's no need to worry, you have a bunch of girlfriends to watch your back!