The running club where members can never be too slow

'Slowies" founders Katie Hume-Hopper and her husband Phil

It began with a bit of a laugh and an "I dare you moment".

Katie Hume-Hopper said to a pal that she might start a running club.

But since you had to be slow to join, she joked, she would call it the "Glasgow Southside Slowies".

And so the "Slowies" were born.

When Katie and husband Phil moved to Glasgow from Hartlepool in 2022 they began looking for a running club which would suit, in Katie's words, "my kind of slow" - something with no expectation of necessarily getting faster.

It did not prove easy.

The "Slowies" sign up to do the Couch To 5K beginners running plan

"A lot of clubs talk about being inclusive," says Katie.

"They do say anyone can come along but it's not always the experience in real life".

So they decided to put up a social media post to see if people wanted to join together do the "Couch To 5k" beginners running plan.

On that first night about 10 people turned up and in the weeks that followed about half dropped out.

Later sessions grew busier and now, three times a week, an average of 30 - but at certain times, anything up to 70 - runners take to the streets of Glasgow's southside for a variety of distances and at different paces.

Some are actually quite fast but that is absolutely not the point.

"If you want to do something and it's not there," says Phil, "the best thing to do is just try it yourself and if there's a need for it, it'll take off".

Fast or slow: No-one is under pressure to increase pace or set faster times

The dedicated among them have run through the dark and rain of winter, on this evening though they have gathered ahead of the run, enjoying the lighter nights and chatting about their days.

And that chance to be sociable, especially when mainly working at home, is what first attracted Vicy Moynihan, who moved from Manchester to Glasgow last year not knowing many people.

Never having been a runner, she came back session after session and got fitter, even though she describes herself as "not the world's best runner".

She has found a lot of similar people who had moved from elsewhere.

"It's crazy how it's changed my life, really, and I've made some really close friends out of it," she adds.

"They've developed not only a love for exercise but the camaraderie of it all too."

The Slowies is run by volunteers and the social aspects of the group - brunch, doing other events like Parkruns together or nights at the pub - seem to be as much of a draw as the exercise.

Anna Pomfret, who lives locally, says it has been a good way to meet new people outside work. The word Slowies in the title was a definite draw for her.

Anna Pomfret said the word "slowies" drew her to the club

"You see a lot of running clubs with Harriers in the name or Road Runners and it all seems a bit scary," she says.

"The Slowies definitely appealed because I thought that's my kind of people".

Many nights they run using a kind of loop pattern - Phil at the front, Katie at the back. At a certain point they cross over so no-one is always at the back. It all seems to suit the ethos of the group.

"We don't brand ourselves as a fast running club," says Phil.

"I think people maybe do feel a bit more comfortable".

The Southside Slowies is open to anyone - of any ability

They are both surprised that some people who have joined the Slowies are actually quite fast and they certainly celebrate the achievements of anyone who wants to improve their pace, but as their social media posts explain, this is a space for everyone.

"Some people that join are already super speedy," they say.

"And it's also lovely to see some of our members progress their pace too but this will always be a safe space for slow runners, where no-one is too slow even if they're walking."

The Slowies are going international next year with more than 20 of them signing up for the Berlin half marathon. Katie and Phil say they think it might end up being a bit like "a big school trip".

One thing is certain though - everyone will be going at their own pace.