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How to start running? 4 expert tips for beginners, from goal-setting to best routes

The head of a run club in the US shares advice on how to start and stick with a safe running routine from as early as tomorrow

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John Mancini, who began running during the Covid-19 pandemic, says it is important to avoid comparisons when starting out as a beginner. Photo: Instagram/morecini

Ever more people are lacing up their trainers, whether for neighbourhood fun runs or full marathons.

In 2024, the New York City Marathon saw more finishers than ever, with over 55,000 crossing the finish line.

“We’ve kind of seen this resurrection of running as a recreational thing,” says John Mancini, captain and Race Camp director at Atlanta Run Club, in the US state of Georgia. “It kind of was in the background for a while, and now there are run clubs popping up all over the [United States].”

Mancini, known affectionately as Cini in his run club, started running during the Covid-19 pandemic after boxing throughout his life.

“The only thing that I could do to stay in shape was to get out on the road, and it afforded me a level of autonomy in sport that I just didn’t feel like I had before,” he says. “And to me, that was liberating.”

Members of the Atlanta Run Club gather in early June. Photo: Instagram/atlantarunclub
Members of the Atlanta Run Club gather in early June. Photo: Instagram/atlantarunclub

Even if you have never thought about becoming a runner or considered yourself a good candidate to be one, you can still start a running routine as early as tomorrow. Just take these four tips to get yourself in the right place.

1. Stop comparing yourself to others

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