Emily Bolster and Ella-Kay Byrne are the founders of Lez Go Running – Dublin’s new sapphic social running club. After meeting on the first day of college at a student fair and developing a love for the sport, they launched their club in September 2024.
The two friends first came up with the idea after Ella joined New York’s ‘Dyke Run’ while on holiday. After coming back and looking to join a sapphic running club in Dublin, the two college students realised the gap in the market for queer women’s sports clubs.
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With Lez Go Running, they have a set 5km route that they usually take on Saturdays or Sundays, which heads up past St James’ Hospital, through Rialto, and down to Griffith College. For any beginners to the sport, they can run the first 2.5km and walk the second half. After the workout, the group heads to a local coffee shop for a drink and something sweet.
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Speaking about their personal running journeys, Emily said: “I started running properly during Covid, like most people. I went once with my brother, and then I found it really therapeutic and good for my head space. I haven’t done any official races, but I would run most days of the week. I think it’s such a nice outlet to have, as you can run by yourself or with others.”
Ella, on the other hand, said: “I started running in October 2023. My brother was really into running, so I decided to join him one day. I signed up for my first race last year; a 10k, which gave me something to work towards. I hated it at the start, but once you keep at it you start to enjoy it.”
Since its launch, the group has picked up a few regular attendees, saying: “We’ve started to get a core group of people every week, and we’re always looking for more people to join. It’s open to everyone, and some people come who have never run before but come to socialise, and they find that they run the entire thing with no issue.”
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When discussing the highlights so far, Ella mentioned their post-exercise treats, mentioning: “Our collab with Naked Bakes was really nice. It was a lovely morning and we had a great time.”
Emily then followed up with the difficulties they’ve faced, mainly with the Irish weather, sharing that “wind warnings and bad weather have postponed some of our runs. But sure what can you do about it.”
Regarding their future plans, the pair said: “We would love to do more collabs and maybe organise some different events, and we would love to introduce a mid-week run if we get the interest. We often talk about organising another social aspect to it, and we would also like to print some stickers!”
Lez Go Running is open to everyone, including allies, and meets up on Saturdays and Sundays. They also have a Spotify playlist, which takes suggestions, and a WhatsApp group for anyone interested in joining.
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