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Blyth Running Club's Social Distance Rock

Blyth RC show social distance rocks

Blyth Running Club has developed a fun project for its members to stay in touch during the coronavirus crisis; a project that follows the rules on social distancing. Using a couple of painted rocks club members have created a ‘treasure hunt’ to illustrate the strength and unity of the running community in these difficult times.

Social distancing is a key government guideline during the coronavirus crisis with everyone required to keep a gap of at least two metres from each other. None of us had heard of this concept until recently but it has become part of our everyday lives and we have had to adapt.

Blyth Running Club has adapted in a community-minded way that has made the most of the skills of one of its members – Lee Elder – who has created a treasure hunt for adults (and children too) around Northumberland.

Lee paints and decorates rocks as a hobby and produced a couple in Blyth Running Club colours of green and white that were taken North by bicycle and South and hidden from the public. These ‘Social Distance Rocks’ were part of a ‘contactless relay’ within local boundaries and photos and clues about their locations were posted on the club Facebook page.

A member searches for the rock and when they find it, takes photos or a video of themselves before running with it to the next person. Their activity is logged and uploaded onto a main route for each rock and their photos added to an ongoing video about the event. These rocks have been moved several times a day.

The next step, when the crisis is over, is to take the ‘running rock’ on a UK-wide journey and to nvite as many clubs as possible to participate in a mark of respect for those who lost their lives during the coronavirus oubreak.

Image courtesy of Tony Dunn

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