Striding out in St Andrews
Stride Out has officially, well, strided out! 50 miles up the east coast of Scotland from Edinburgh lies the old historic town of St Andrews - best known as the Home of Golf.
Last month, we hosted a wellness event in collaboration with Alice Thomson, the powerhouse behind the Fresh Air Collective - a business club for outdoorsy women, blending networking and personal development in a different way - outside! Our businesses have so many shared values, with movement very much at the heart of both so teaming up with Alice was a no-brainer.
You never know how a new concept will land with an audience. The fact that this event was sold out two weeks prior highlights the growing popularity of this kind of networking, with a wellness twist.
We kicked things off with a group warm up down on the West Sands, before heading out for a social paced 5k running tour around St Andrews, with stops at the town’s most historic landmarks, namely St Andrews University - the third oldest university in the UK - St Andrews Cathedral and of course, the Castle.
The amount of history per square metre in this town is staggering. From the 8th Century origins of the town’s name, to the medieval dungeons and secret siege tunnels beneath the Castle, you’re covering centuries with every stride.
We returned to Dook, a glorious al fresco option on the West Sands for great coffee and pastries the size of your head whilst listening to our guest speaker, the inspiring Alexis Durie, who is on the cusp of leaving her corporate banking career to focus on her new role (and passion project) as the manager of the latest gym to hit the local area - SALT.
All in all, an energising, wholesome morning. The good ol’ Scottish haar couldn’t even dampen our spirits.
For me, it was an opportunity to showcase a different part of Scotland - on the move. To encourage local women to explore a bit more of what’s on their doorstep. And there’s a lot to discover - St Andrews is probably the only place in Scotland that can rival Edinburgh in terms of its history!
This may have been the first time striding out in St Andrews, but it certainly won’t be the last. If you’re looking to get your team, network or clients moving in these parts, get in touch and let’s get outside!
“Jayne’s energy was great, her structure was spot on for the group and the stories and history she wove into the run were so interesting!! 10/10 - lots of people wanted to go again!”
*For the non-natives reading this, ‘haar’ is effectively a Scots terms to describe a coastal sea fog which regularly pays us a visit on the east coast of Scotland. Not only does it cause temperatures to plummet, it can also make visibility rather challenging!