It seems that running has never been more popular, as more and more people discover the fun, health benefits and personal satisfaction that go with the sport. But even as a road running revolution takes place across much of Europe, the experience of getting started and becoming a runner can vary from person to person.
Joan Merx, the 2013 European Athletics Women’s Leadership Award winner from the Netherlands, has developed an idea that demonstrates her leadership abilities and is making a big difference to thousands of women runners.
Joan is the coordinator of the Marikenloop in Nijmegen – with 15,000 participants the largest women-only running event in the Netherlands. It is a concept that she has been working on for more than a decade and is now firmly established as a part of the country’s running scene.
But it hasn’t always been that way.
Back in 2003, there was opposition from men who didn’t understand the need for a women-only race and, indeed, thought the idea was a backward step for equality.
“I first worked for the Zevenheuvelenloop - the Seven Hills Race (an existing mixed-sex event),” recalls Joan. “At that time the number of ‘running women’ was growing and growing, but we noticed their participation in the event was not increasing so fast. It seems there was a ‘hurdle’ or barrier and they were somewhat shy to take part in races.”
So she took the initiative and created a pioneering alternative to mixed-sex races in the hope that women would feel more comfortable entering. The result was the Marikenloop, which has expanded over the years to its present size and is now being replicated in other parts of the country. “We discovered that women liked participating in such an event and they started to like running.”
“Joan is an example for all women in sport,” says Jan Willem Landre, General Secretary of the Royal Dutch Athletics Federation, which nominated her for her award. “She was one of the first to start a women's run in the Netherlands and she is now the face of the Marikenloop - she is responsible for all correspondence with participants, takes care of the permits, medals, newsletters, and she is even on stage during the warm-up.”
In the eyes of Joan, a former national junior 1500m champion who is currently a self-described “hobby jogger”, the Marikenloop is not just a mass participation event for women, it is also an elite race. Her aim is for all women to make the step from running recreationally towards genuine competition.
“The event includes a lifestyle market and a pasta-party, so it is fun for the whole day, but we always want to make sure that the sport is the most important aspect,” she says.
“The Marikenloop is running. We want to include the whole range of [female] runners: from the absolute beginners, who start training in January and run a 5K race in some 35 minutes in May, to the elite Dutch runner, who wins in a superb time. We want all the participants, fast and slow, to run, not to walk, the Marikenloop”
Landre agrees: “The Marikenloop plays a very important role for thousands of Dutch women and girls who feel comfortable to take their first steps in running and racing in official events. But we want it to be a serious running event, not a walking event or even a social event for women.”
With the success of the Marikenloop concept, it is clear that Joan is carrying out valuable work that has not gone unnoticed by the sport in the Netherlands. But she is not finished yet: “I hope that we can take the Marikenloop to a higher level every year, with lots of attention for the runners, but also sustainability is one of most important things.
“Maybe we will grow the number of runners, but that is not the main goal. It’s all about quality over quantity.”
And Joan Merx has qualities in abundance.
The European Athletics Women's Leadership Awards
The aim of the European Athletics Women's Leadership Awards is to recognise the behind the scenes work and accomplishments that have helped to make the winners role models for other women in athletics. Coaching young athletes, officiating, setting up and managing clubs . . . their achievements are as varied as the individuals themselves.
In 2013, 26 women, including Joan Merx, were selected for the award by their national athletics federations.