Running with the pack: the rise of canicrossing

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London

An owl hoots. Leaves rustle. Dozens of sheep’s eyes pierce the darkness. Then, as if flying across the black backdrop, red, green, violet and white lights stream by and add an extra touch of magic to a moonlit winter night ablaze with stars.

This is my pack: canicrossers. Dogs and runners, in the glow of their multicoloured collars and head torches, move rhythmically and soundlessly in a line along the crest of a hill. The run is exhilarating, and the below-zero temperatures refresh our faces.

Alfie joined our family in the same year that I took to running, so the natural step was to yoke the two together. And so I discovered a flourishing community of canicrossers.

Canicross is off-road running with your dog. The sport began in Europe when “mushers”, or those who run teams of sled dogs, would train their dogs during the summer.

Anybody and almost any dog over a year old can do it. The only kit you need is a belt, a lead and a dog harness. Many of us carry a streamlined backpack that includes items such as poo bags, a first-aid kit, water, tick remover and spare head torch.

I run with Deepdale Doggers, which was created some years ago by a group of friends in Bedfordshire. Since 2016, membership, from teenagers to grandparents, has soared. Our patch extends all over Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire into East Anglia as we join regional groups with pun-filled names such as Barking Mad and Peterborough Paws. The National Trust’s Wimpole Estate, with its mansion and parklands, is a regular base.

In my canicrossing companion, I have discovered a personal trainer that is always enthusiastic, willing to go anywhere, up for adventure and, above all, ready and available at any time. It is never too far, cold, wet, early, late or dark. He will never say no.

“Rain or shine the dogs are ready to run,” concurs Ginetta George, co-founder of UK-based DogFit, which provides kit and training. “It’s accessible to anyone and can be transformational for dogs and owners. It doesn’t matter if you are running one kilometre or a marathon. It’s about getting fit and enjoying the sport together. It 100 per cent increases the bond you have with your dog.”

Alfie, my five-year-old border collie, sees me pick up my trainers and belt and goes to wait by the front door. How can I change my mind now? His enthusiasm is infectious and soon we will be running through the woods together.

Dogs thrive on the sport: they love being in a pack, as do we. As we gather to start our run, dogs of every colour and size go berserk. Alfie barks and squeaks with such excitement that all four paws leave the ground. He yanks at his bungee lead and spins and twirls beyond control. The noise of two dozen dogs is deafening.

Suddenly we are off. And silence descends. Alfie sprints off at such a speed I have to concentrate on keeping my balance. After the first kilometre, we settle into a steady rhythm as he sets his pace to match mine.

We spur each other on along trails or paths through woods, fields, beaches and heaths, up and down hills, through rivers and puddles, over obstacles and tree roots, day or night. Having your dog as a constant running companion helps make you feel safer as you delve down unfamiliar tracks. When I slip or fall, Alfie stops immediately and will stand close until I get up.

Canicross, which is very popular in Europe, has picked up plenty of UK fans over the past few years. Cushla Lamen and her husband Simon set up Wiltshire-based CaniCross Trailrunners in 2002 to spread the word and support safety in the sport they discovered in France, with Verity Halliday coming on board in 2017.

The UK-wide group counts more than 20,000 Facebook members — well up over the past two years as dog ownership has climbed and people seek alternative ways to keep fit. Women make up the majority of those taking it up, recognising the confidence they gain from having a running mate.

Alfie helps pull me up the hills and adores running downhill. He will pelt down and, though terrifying, it is exhilarating. I would never run this fast without him leading me on. I sometimes wish I had land skis as we fly over molehills and rabbit holes. I give Alfie few instructions: a light tap on the bungee lead is enough to steer him.

If I let him, he would keep going. And that’s when we as their owners need to look after their welfare. The bond you develop with your dog helps you learn their tolerance levels for distance and temperature. Never push them too far, too fast.

A guide to assessing whether it is too hot to run with your dog is when the temperature multiplied by the humidity is higher than 1,000. Towards the end of the summer, dogs become more acclimatised and can cope with higher temperatures.

Similarly, take care where you run. Choose trails over roads, as their paws do not offer enough cushioning from the hard tarmac surface that reflects heat and cold.

The sport helps dogs socialise. Anxious and reactive dogs feel at ease since all dogs are on leads and everyone is running in the same direction, adds George from DogFit. “Dogs learn together and run as a pack while giving each other space. They teach one another.”

Chloe O’Doughty-Edwards recognises how much canicross has helped Kyzer, her reactive 10-year-old German shepherd-labrador cross. His nervousness means she cannot walk him with other dogs or take him to the pub.

“It can be isolating to own a reactive dog,” she says, but canicross is a “safe and fun way to socialise with other dogs. He has gained a lot of confidence from running in a group.”

Running with more than one dog is a common sight. Lydia Spriggs runs with her two terrier mixes and a Shetland sheepdog. “I love the buzz I get out of running with all three; seeing them when they all pull out in front of me is such a nice feeling,” she says. “My Sheltie is a hopeless runner on his own but loves the thrill of the chase with the others.”

For Alfie, a border collie that doesn’t hug, balks at being picked up and avoids eye contact, the end of our run signals a special time. We flop on the ground together and he rests his face and paws on my leg and gazes at me. I am puffing and he is panting but I know that, at the drop of a hat, he will be ready to go again.

Are you a canicrosser, or would like to try it? Tell us in the comments

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