Breath Of Fresh Air

There’s A New Club In Town, And It Wants To Change The Way You Run

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Running is more popular than ever. Last year, in the UK alone, 240.7 million runs were recorded on activity tracking app Strava – up a staggering 46.2 per cent from the previous year. The sport is so popular because it is so accessible: unlike other equipment and kitladen activities, runners need a pair of trainers (some even forego those) and little else. In its simplest form, there are no memberships to pay or spaces to book; all worries can be left at the door.

That, at least, is the theory. But the free-and-easy nature of running – particularly in urban areas – is under threat from a malignant, invisible enemy: pollution. While runners of the past could enjoy a care-free jog any time, any place, there are now parts of our cities so polluted that running through them could actually do more harm than good. In London, the most densely populated of all, air pollution is estimated to contribute to 10,000 deaths a year.

But far from accepting this grim new reality, the capital is leading the charge in the fight against fumes. Earlier this year, the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced £6 million would be invested into 15 pollution-curbing projects, including the introduction of 250 car-free and pedestrianisation initiatives across 16 boroughs, as well as programmes to reduce emissions on the Thames and in the City.

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