Diamond Runners, a running club based in Rushden, has been recognised for its volunteers’ contributions to the club, as well as the local community.

The regional volunteer awards hope to shine a light on the volunteers of such sports clubs that are often under-appreciated, and ‘celebrate the fantastic contribution that athletics and running volunteers make.’

Diamond Runners finished second place for the coveted Club of the Year award in the East Midlands.

A spokesman for Diamond Runners said: “The final three clubs were then put to a public vote and we are very pleased to announce that Diamond Runners came 2nd in the East Midlands. This is a real achievement for the club which only started less than five years ago, and very soon had to come to terms with how to continue a running club under the restrictions imposed by COVID 19 and lockdowns.”

placeholder image — Diamond Runners started in 2019

The club started in Rushden in 2019, before becoming affiliated with England Athletics a year later, and aims to go the extra mile to support the local community, having recently supported Titan Fitness who held a charity fundraising day to help combat knife crime.

Diamond Runners also recently joined the Wellie Wombles’ efforts by taking part in plogging (a combination of running and litter picking) in the local area.

Sessions are held for all ages and abilities on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and due to the recent increase in the cost of living, annual membership has been reduced from £52 to £15 with the option to be affiliated.

If you are interested in joining Diamond Runners for a run or just to find out more about litter picking (no running required), you can contact them by email [email protected] or find the club on Facebook.