Like the Wind – Issue 34

Like the Wind is a quarterly magazine for runners, by runners – beautifully illustrated and printed on matte paper.

In issue #34…

As runners, we all know the benefits of lacing up and getting out there. Whether you’re running to smash a PB or to create some much-needed headspace, every run seems to have its own “magic powers”, no matter what kind of mood you were in when you set out.

But while these solo adventures reset body and soul, sometimes it’s the people around us on a run who create the conditions that keep us going. In issue 34 of Like the Wind, we examine the power of connection and community for runners and in running events around the world.

We’re roadside for the London, Toronto and Berlin marathons, soaking up the buzzing, confetti-drenched atmosphere of run crews’ cheer zones, boosting marathoners as they dig in for the tough final kilometres. We look back at how London’s legendary “Mile 21” started and trace the shared ethos of – and ongoing connection between – run crews around the world. Plus we visit The Outrunners, a crew, club, charity and youth outreach programme based in east London that focuses on making sure no young person is left behind, whether in life or on a run.

Meanwhile, journalist Lela Moore meets adaptive athletes looking for equity in competitive sport. She shares stories about individual determination and shared endeavours, the creation of communities and how the sport of running accepts adaptive athletes.

In Canada, Stephanie Ouimet recounts the tale of an injured woman she met while marshalling an ultra and how she united the runner with her concerned family. In Wales, Nick Herbert writes beautifully about how crewing a mate’s FKT attempt not only strengthened their friendship but connected him to the history and soul of the communities through which they ran. And in the Dolomites, we meet the family whose restaurant sits at the heart of a mountain ultra.

Community and connection reach beyond events and challenges – London-based researcher Sophia Skyers takes us on her running journey, which saw her take up the sport aged 60 and embrace technology to the extent that she has created shared online spaces for like-minded runners to co-exist.

We all know “that run” where we feel as if it’s just us against the world… but while running is essentially about putting one foot or blade in front of the other, our sport is built on community – and it’s these connections we celebrate in Like the Wind.

Whether you’re on the trails, the track or the pavements of your neighbourhood, we hope this issue inspires you to run, or to share your story with us.