Ian Tolfts joined Bourton Roadrunners when he left the Royal Air Force back in 2018 and the soon-to-be 61-year-old says his running has really taken off since joining the club.

These days he works as a defence aviation specialist, but he runs as often as he can with a club that has become very special to him.

He took over as chair back in November having previously served as vice-chair to Chris Dry and is keen to give back to a club that has given him so much.

“In theory I’ve been running all my life, but I ran only to keep fit,” he told The Local Answer. “My running career only really got started in 2018, that’s when I started running seriously.

“The club inspired me to improve. I’d never really thought about running longer distances before, I’d always thought that 5k was enough.”

These days Tolfts says 10K and the half-marathon are his “sweet spots” and he continued: “I learned about running by running with other people, it’s almost knowledge by osmosis.”

Tolfts has a best time for the half-marathon of one hour, 47 minutes, 36 seconds, while in the 10K his best is 47 minutes, 25 seconds.

He’s run 22.01 in the 5K as well so is clearly reaping the benefits since linking up with Bourton Roadrunners.

The club was formed back in 1981 and Tolfts said: “We’ve got a proud history. The club was established by a few enthusiastic, competitive runners and it’s gone from strength to strength.

“We’ve got 120-plus adult members and about 20 juniors, which for a rural community is very good.

“We’ve got a big base and the numbers are creeping up each year. We’ve got a bright future.”

So what is it that makes Bourton Roadrunners so appealing to so many?

“The thing that we really cherish is our community spirit,” said Tolfts, who was in the Royal Air Force for 34 years. “Our ethos is ‘Running for All’.

“We run Couch to 5K courses but we also cater for the serious runners too. We have four sessions a week, two in the day and two in the evenings, we try to appeal to everyone.”

And the club also play a prominent role when it comes to putting on races with the Bourton 10K, Bourton Mile and Bourton Half-Marathon major events on the Gloucestershire running calendar.

“The Bourton 10K takes place on the last Sunday in February, it’s incredibly popular,” said Tolfts. “There are 700 runners and it’s nearly as difficult to get a ticket as it is to get one for Glastonbury!”

The Bourton Mile is held in May and in this year’s race Tolfts ran PB for the distance of 6.31.

He’s a big supporter of the event, of course, but he said jokingly: “The mile race should be banned, how people do it in 4.20 I have no idea. You have to go hell for leather from the start, there is no pacing.” 

The half-marathon, which takes place at the end of September, is part of the county championship series and another race that attracts a quality field of runners.

“We’re well-known in Gloucestershire for our races,” said Tolfts, who is originally from Essex.

His wife, Jo Cooper, is also a member of Bourton Roadrunners and the club are continuing to look to grow.

“We’re always looking at how we can attract new members,” said Tolfts. “We lay on a track session at the Prince of Wales Stadium every couple of months and we’ve also started a small cycling group.

“The focus of the club is on running but we want to encourage as many people as possible to become involved and help them to realise their goals.”

And the benefits are many.

“It’s good for your health, just being outside, full stop,” said Tolfts, who lives in Bourton-on-the-Water. “Running with other people, the camaraderie, the team spirit, having a bit of a laugh. There’s the competitiveness too.

“It’s the whole plethora of being part of a club, it does inspire you and encourage you to do new things rather than just plodding around running on your own. 

“I’d encourage anyone to come along and have a few trial sessions with our friendly club.”

One of the distances that Tolfts has yet to take on is a marathon, but it is on his radar.

“I’ve always said I don’t want to do a marathon, more because of the time needed for training,” he said. “I probably will do one when I pack up working but I don’t just want to go round in five hours, I want to run sub-four hours.”

And if and when he does take on the 26.2-mile challenge, you’d certainly back him to realise his goal.

For more details about Bourton Roadrunners, visit www.bourtonroadrunners.co.uk or contact the membership secretary at brr.memsec@gmail.com