How Runforever is changing the lives of North East prisoners’

‘Runforever’ is a charity founded in March 2023 by Paolo Maccagno and Mark Hope with the distinct aim to improve the lives of prisoners and marginal communities in the North East through running and the Feldenkrais method® – awareness through movement.

Those taking part in the activities, including running and Feldenkrais classes, have proven to experience an improvement in their physical and mental health, in addition to an uplift in their overall wellbeing. The club holds two sessions every week and recently successfully secured funding from the Allen Lane Foundation, Athletics Trust Scotland and To Absent Friends in addition to private donations that have supported it from the beginning. 

Paolo Maccagno, who had previous success with a similar project at a prison in his native Italy as well as at HMP & YOI Grampian in 2016, said: “I’m fascinated by walls. When I first entered a prison in Milan was because I went there to attend the theatre performance Maratona di New York by Edoardo Erba, which was held inside the theatre of the prison itself. The subject of the New York marathon and the preparation to achieve it was a clear metaphor for a process of rehabilitation.

“Running a marathon seems to demand the capacity to abandon the thought of the finish line, which only produces anxiety, and to try to run the race as if you would run forever. As I was walking out of the prison, I wondered in excitement, 'what if I run the wall of the marathoner inside the walls of a prison?'

“The running club welcomes runners from inside and outside the prison, overcoming risks of stigmatization. Running enables the formation of a community of support between runners and helps build connections with their families. This contributes towards breaking the barriers and walls between them.”

One current Runforever participant said: “When I'm running it hurts, it's a constant battle, but when my mind is on the running, I am no longer in jail. I'm a free man while I run”. Another said that the “running club is freedom and running with staff makes me feel like a normal human”.

Stephanie Morrison, formerly of Robert Gordon University's (RGU) Public Health and Community Engagement Team, has played a leading role in implementing and developing Runforever in collaboration with HMP Grampian’s Recovery and Wellbeing Strategy Group.

Now an honorary member of the club, she was and still is instrumental in ensuring that those taking part are ultimately on an onward and rehabilitating journey towards contributing positively to society upon their release. Part of her involvement included introducing camera’s to running sessions and elevating the feeling of freedom while promoting creativity and expression.

Runforever is one of many community engagement initiatives in Aberdeen and the surrounding areas that the University is involved in as it continues to promote social wellbeing and the value of partnerships.

Laura Chalmers, Head of Employability & Community Engagement at RGU, said: “Runforever is making a real impact on those who are pulling on their trainers and clocking up the miles. There is great power in community, sport, and routine and Runforever captures this. It’s a fantastic community programme which is continuing to make a real impact on the health and wellbeing of prisoners at HMP Grampian.”

Brian McKirdy, Governor of HMP & YOI Grampian, said: “The health and wellbeing of those in our care is a key priority and activities like this support that. Runforever has been a welcome initiative and we are happy to work with our partners at Robert Gordon University in providing such as opportunity to people here.”

Paolo Maccagno is currently in talks with the director of Critics Choice nominated ‘26.2 to Life’, a feature film on the inside story of the San Quentin prison marathon in the renowned San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in California.

It follows the journey of prisoners of varying ages and backgrounds becoming marathon runners and the benefits that it brings. One particular inmate ran to such a standard that he qualified for the famous Boston Marathon while still in custody.

Paolo added: “We deeply agree with the ’26.2’ film director that "people are not crimes" and that we need to change the conversation around incarceration and rehabilitation.

“In this endeavour our next steps will be a screening event of the film and The Silent Run in November which is a memorial run opening a path for grieving inside the prison and showing that end of life care needs to be considered part of healthcare.”

Runforever featured in August’s Healing Arts Scotland event, an initiative by Scottish Ballet and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in collaboration with the World Health Organisation that aims to socialise arts and health research and drive public engagement for the vital role of the arts in health.