The Recovery Runners Running Club was set up by Dean Smith and Jamie Heselden.

The club grew out of their shared experiences of the benefits of running in maintaining their recovery from alcohol addiction. The inspirational pair have already been recognised winning the Community Champions category at Leeds Sport Awards in May.

From small beginnings the Recovery Runners Community has grown to include runners recovering from mental health problems, addictions, eating disorders, Covid-19, cancer and burnout. A call-out for donations of kit and trainers enables the group to give kit to people who don’t have it “so nothing should stop them getting started” and included recent donations to a group of asylum seekers temporarily housed in Leeds who were keen to keep fit by running.

Now the club has national ambitions: putting UK-based runners-in-recovery in touch with each other for local runs wherever they find themselves visiting for work or on holiday.

For more information email: Recoveryrunners21@gmail.com or search for Recovery Runners on Facebook; Recovery Runners Running Club on Instagram.

The group meets every Sunday at 10am at Lock House, Armouries Drive, LS10 1LE for various routes and distances.

They also offer marathon training at 8am meeting at the same venue.