A run club with dogs? This Canberra group might be the exercise motivation we need | HerCanberra

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A run club with dogs? This Canberra group might be the exercise motivation we need

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Thinking about joining a run club but can’t bear to leave your fave furry friend behind? Enter the Canicross Trail Runners – the club where you can bring your dog!

What makes Canicross different from a normal run with your dog though? Club founder Katrina Wilson, an enthusiastic lover of all things pooch-related, reveals that ‘Canicross’ is short for canine cross-country running.

“Our runs can be very short distance and quite quick, or they can be long distance,” says Katrina.

“Canicross also involves technical training like teaching your dog to go left, right and listen to different commands, and instead of a lead, you have a proper running belt that goes around your waist so the dog can pull you forward.”

Starting the ACT Canicross Club in 2024 with her own dog Layla, Katrina first had the idea after wanting to get more into running and bring like-minded people together. Currently, her group runs along the different trails at the National Arboretum on a Sunday at 6.30 am, and her adorable Staffy is now her biggest motivator.

“Running with dogs is great for your mental health. We have all these run groups in Canberra where you can go meet people, but it’s great if people have Canicross too. It’s so much easier getting a conversation started with a stranger when I have Layla than when I’m without her. Dogs just bring people together.” she says.

For dogs that are reactive around strangers, Canicross is a safe space for both owner and doggy to enjoy themselves, and it even encourages reactive dogs to become more sociable. The Canicross group is skilled at keeping interactions to a minimum if needed too.

Katrina is hoping to start a fortnightly introductory meet-up for those interested in Canicross but who’ve never done it before. Don’t have a dog? Don’t worry, you can still join in on the four-legged fun.

So what are you waiting for? Get those tails wagging and go along!

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Canberra Canicross Club
Where: National Arboretum Canberra
When: Sunday, 6.30 am
Contact + more information: @cbrcanicrosstrailrunners

Images supplied.

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