Run With Purpose founders Nii Lartey and Joel Thika want running to be open to people of all backgrounds and abilities.
Run With Purpose define themselves as a brotherhood of men from all backgrounds and abilities who come together to run, chat and chill, all for one purpose: tackle male mental health issues (anxiety, depression, etc) and raise awareness around them. Whether you have suffered from mental health issues, or know of those who have, Nii and Joel promise a safe space for you to be yourself while being valued and listened to.
Joel says: “I gave Nii a call one day and I said, ‘I’ve noticed we have this thing in common, would it not be great to start a running group just for men? Nii and I are from an area where social stigmas prevail; if you tell guys what you’re going through, they’ll say ‘man up’. So we thought, let’s start this thing for men, where they can come together and be vulnerable and real about what they’re going through.”
One runner who attended their group had recently experienced a suicide in his family and was suffering from mental health issues, but he found the courage to join Run With Purpose for one of their weekly runs and it allowed him the freedom to grieve and share his experiences.