‘Run With Reid’ club raises money for Arlo’s Adventure charity

More than 130 people gathered at Castle Rushen High School on Monday evening in their running gear for a big ‘Run With Reid’ event.

The running club, which is run (see what I did there) by former Great Britain runner Joe Reid, brings together people of all ages in the south of the island to engage in running and cardiovascular activity.

Joe also fundraises for the island charity ‘Arlo’s Adventure’ through the club, accepting donations from participants and promoting the charity which was formed by his colleague Sarah Owen.

During the ‘big one’ on Monday, three stalls were set up for attendees to register for the club, donate or find out more about Arlo’s Adventure and also order ‘Run With Reid’ kit.

Talking about how it went, Joe said: ‘The event went really well. We were able to raise some money, which I estimate to be in the hundreds, so I was satisfied with how the evening went. People seemed to enjoy the session too and there was a nice social buzz throughout the evening.

‘Last night we had more than 130 people with us which was great, but we didn’t manage to beat last year’s total of 170 so it means I’ll have to try again next year and spread the word to even more people.’

The Arlo’s Adventure charity has two aims; to support Manx residents and their family members who require treatment in hospital in the United Kingdom, as well as to support bereaved families by the raising of awareness of the effects of the loss of a child or a pregnancy. Joe said: ‘I chose Arlo’s adventure for a few reasons. I work with Sarah (Owen) and see how much hard work she puts in first hand helping to run the charity.

‘They do an amazing job supporting local families through any pregnancy complications, paying for families to access UK hospitals, providing food and activity vouchers, or giving mothers neonatal packs.

‘They’ve helped so many families through tough periods of life and I think the more recognition they can get, the better.’

Joe started the club in 2021 after moving back to the island full time.

He added: ‘It’s been a nice way to stay in touch with the sport and be able to give something back to the southern community. I didn’t expect it to become a weekly thing or have the amount of people engage with it as we have over the years, so I have no choice but to keep it going now!

‘We’ve had a couple of nice stories over the years. We’ve had people go from not being able to run 5km without struggling to completing half marathons with ease, while some of the kids that run with us have broke island records for their age groups.’

Joe also recently won the ‘Community Impact’ award at ‘Gef 30 Under 30’ for the second year in a row, which recognised his work in the south of the island through Run With Reid.

If you wish to find out more, you can visit the ‘Run With Reid’ Facebook page or visit https://arlosadventure.myshopify.com/