After this winter, you’d be forgiven for losing your mojo and for finding reasons not to lace up and get out. If that’s you, we recommend a read of this. Yaz Johnson’s love of running is totally infectious and will inspire you to leave the house with a smile on the dial
Words: Rachel Ifans
I DON’T WANT ALL THESE LITTLE MEDALS LYING IN MY DRAWER, I JUST WANT THAT ONE BIG ONE THAT SAYS I’VE DONE ALL SIX MAJORS!
If life was a rom-com movie, the way Yaz Johnson got into running would be called a meet-cute. It’s when the two main characters first meet in a cute or charming way. You know the kind of scene: Harry and Sally in the car on the way to New York, Annie Hall and Alvie Singer on the tennis court….
Except that Yaz’s meet-cute didn’t pan out the way it should have.
Yaz had just moved to Hackney and was looking to meet new friends when she bumped into a [quite cute] guy who suggested she come along to his run club. He said he went a few times a week and thought she’d love his fellow runners and the club (Your Friendly Runners) vibe.
Now, here’s where the rom-com narrative takes an unexpected turn. Fast forward two years and Yaz is now a fully paid-up committed member of the run club, has forged an exciting partnership with New Balance and SportsShoes.com off the back of it, and yet – YET – she has never seen the cute guy once!
Yes, we know! What’s that about? Why did he say he went there regularly and then never go again? But, but. But… before you go all indignant on Yaz’s behalf, don’t worry. She’s cool. The club has given her loads of mates, a social life and, despite going a bit off-script, she has actually found true love.
Forever friends
To say Yaz has found her thing is an understatement. She practically has love heart emojis circling above her head when she talks about what she likes about running. She says: “You can run to keep fit or to be competitive, you can run to smash personal goals or just to see how far you can push the body or you can run to de-stress. It’s one of those sports where it ticks a lot of boxes.”
Yaz had enjoyed cross country running as a kid and found that, in her 20s, running still gave her that child-like sensation that can easily get swallowed up in adulthood. She chuckles: “I did my first trail race at the end of last year and it really unlocked my inner child. A
