14/09/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ
As part of our newly launched Trusteesโ Annual Report, we introduced a new section called ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐.
It is our chance to shine a light on just a few of the many wonderful people who make Bellahouston Harriers what it is, and to hear a little more about what makes them tick, run, laugh, train and race!
This year we featured four great Bellas: ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง, ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to bring their stories onto the club socials and share a little more of the detail that could not quite make it into the Annual Report.
๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง!
โ
๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฒ
๐โโ๏ธ Lauren joined Bellahouston Harriers just over two years ago, although she says it already feels like she has been here forever.
She had thought about joining a running club for years but never quite had the confidence. After having her second child, running became important for another reason too: a bit of time that was just for her. She searched for nearby clubs, recognised Bella and eventually pushed herself to come along.
๐ That first session still sticks with her. Clubmate Roddy ran the whole session alongside her so she would not be on her own.
โ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐. ๐ผ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐.โ
๐ฌ Running itself has changed too. Lauren once thought the fun was in blasting a 5K as fast as possible. These days, long, slow, chatty runs are a favourite, alongside the perhaps unexpected discovery that she really enjoys hills and track sessions too.
And the results have followed. Her original aim was simply to improve her parkrun and 5K time, but last year she recorded PBs at every distance she raced, from ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง, despite periods of injury and illness.
โค๏ธ For Lauren, though, some of the best moments have had very little to do with the clock.
Signing up for her first Bella social weekend was a big step. Going away with people she did not know particularly well was something she says she would never previously have imagined doing. Returning this year felt very different: she was going away with people she now counts as friends.
๐ฃ Then there was the Great Scottish Half Marathon. Lauren was under the weather and having a difficult day, but Bella support seemed to appear everywhere. At around mile nine, the runner beside her finally asked:
โ๐ธ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ?โ
When Lauren said no, his reply was: โ๐พ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!โ
๐ That sense of support is also why Lauren decided to complete her Leader in Running Fitness qualification. Leading running groups had never been on her radar, but after getting so much from the club she wanted to give something back.
There are far too many people for her to thank individually, although Christine, Steph, Magda, Kirsty, Derek and Callum all get a special mention for everything from race lifts and pacing advice to encouragement, running wisdom and the occasional useful phrase or pun.
๐ As for what comes next?
Lauren wants to keep improving and discover where running might take her, but the simpler aim matters just as much: ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐.
Or, as Lauren puts it:
โ๐
๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐กโ๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐.โ
๐ฝ๏ธ And naturally, she is already looking forward to discovering just how big the dinner can be at the next Bella social weekend. IYKYK.
