A Harrogate running club is hoping to encourage more members to join them in the new year after its founder won the Unsung Hero award at Sunday night’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Sam Barlow won the award for her efforts to set up the Yorkshire based club Fitmums and friends four years ago. The group aims to give everyone, not just mums, the opportunity to run without feeling any pressure.

Fitmums and friends now has 13 branches across Yorkshire and Grimsby, one is in Harrogate.

The Harrogate branch has said they are “over the moon” for Ms Barlow adding that after she helped to set up the Harrogate group four years ago it has gone from strength to strength.

One of the volunteer leaders, Kathryn Morrison, said:

“Now Sam has won this award we’re expecting Fitmums to expand and we just want to encourage people around Harrogate to come join us.It’s really inclusive, it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel fit enough we can support you in so many ways.

“We’re all about encouraging community and communication, I can’t imagine any of us fancied coming out on a cold night last night but we did and we all felt better for it.”

The branch now has 43 members and 12 leaders and coaches all coming together each Monday night for a run.

The aim is to encourage anyone of any ability to run or walk with the group. The group has a strong focus on mental health, encouraging members to speak openly and make friends.

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Ms Morrison joined the first run in January 2017 as a member, she said she was a new mum and “not particularly fit” but said the support spurred her on and a year later she became a volunteer leader for the group.

She can now take groups out on different routes, ranging from one to six miles. She added:

“You never have to worry about being the slowest because we always make a thing about starting and finishing together.”

The group meets at Harrogate Railways AFC in Starbeck every Monday at 7.15pm. People can have a free trial which includes three sessions or joing for £36 per year which includes all your sessions and allows you to join any Fitmums run across Yorkshire.