Sporting mentors guide prisoners 'through the gate' with running and gym programmes
On the day that 700 prisoners across England and Wales were released early, I was driving to Wolverhampton to attend an event organised by the not-for-profit group ConnectSport; organisations such as 180 Project and Prison Run are among those preparing people for release using sport and mentoring.
The ConnectSport event celebrated local sports clubs and initiatives that, as Ranjit Singh described them, “help young people believe in themselves and realise what they’re capable of”. News coverage that day emphasised the risks associated with early release and the pressure of insufficient prison capacity, with electronic tagging frequently presented as the sole remedy. There is no single answer to reoffending, but several practitioners and officials, including Charlie Taylor, HM chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, have stressed the need to improve prisoners’ access to gyms and physical activity.
Twenty-five prisons and young offender institutions currently organise parkrun, and research cited by practitioners lists benefits including better mental and physical health; improved self-esteem and confidence; increased sense of purpose and achievement; and the creation of a safe, humanising and non-judgmental space in which to be active, feel valued and respected. Those outcomes are cited as important contributors to rehabilitation and reduced reoffending.
Prison Run, led by former triathlete Chrissie Wellington, aims to train 20 men and women from three prisons, all nearing release, to run the 2027 London Marathon; most have never run more than a few miles. A cohort of mentors will coach participants from their first runs to marathon distance inside prison, on temporary release days and after release, and the scheme intends to bolster fitness programmes inside prison and provide support for life outside prison by connecting sport, mentoring, employment and community.
John McAvoy, a Nike-sponsored triathlete who broke world indoor rowing records while in prison for armed robbery, will join the coaching team. McAvoy describes Prison Run as a chance to “break the cycle” where 67.1% of adults released from sentences of less than 12 months reoffend. He says sport transformed his life, giving him purpose, community and belief, and adds: “Everyone deserves a second chance,” and “Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them and I will as I run alongside them during this special event.”
180 Project, praised by Charlie Taylor, runs CrossFit sessions in prisons and links participants to housing, life-coaching and other support services centred on the gym. I delivered an indoor rowing masterclass there and encountered prisoners in their final year behind bars seeking advice to improve their scores and to know what 500m splits to aim for. One man who left prison four months ago after being in and out from the age of 15 said becoming part of a community and family of people “all dealing with something” helped him build self-awareness and see potential in himself; co-founder Lindsey Middleton said “people get physically, mentally, emotionally well and socially connected” through the project.
The Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice connects local sports organisations with academics and government partners to clarify how sport can help reduce crime. Under James Mapstone’s leadership the alliance attracted a global request to produce a youth crime prevention initiative across south-east Asia for the International Olympic Committee, funded by the French Development Agency; the project aims to support 82,000 young people through 11 projects in Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Kirsty Coventry has prioritised sport’s role in fostering safer communities since becoming IOC president, a stance noted alongside a Forward Trust poll indicating strong public support for rehabilitation programmes. Prof Rosie Meek has researched the positive effects of sport and physical activity in prisons for more than 20 years, but practitioners say the role of sport in prison life remains underutilised and overdue an update.
Wellington has pledged through Prison Run to use sport to replace stigma with real stories of resilience, potential and second chances, and the immediate next step for the initiative is to prepare the 20 selected participants from three prisons to run the 2027 London Marathon.
