Nigerian Igbos form UK running club to strengthen ties

In London's famous Hyde Park around 11:00 a.m. on a crisp saturday morning, runners gather on several benches – some tall and skinny, some broad and stout, some log into the Strava app, but one common thread unites them – most of them are Nigerians of Igbo descent.

This is the Ozo Running Club, created by Igbo people to celebrate the culture of one of the largest of the over 300 ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“We wanted to create a space where young Igbo people can connect and reconnect with their culture,” said Chibueze Odoemene, who co-founded the club with Emeka Atumoniogo and Chigo Ogbonna.

In less than three months, the Ozo Running Club now has over 300 members.

This fast one the growth speaks not only to a deep desire for community, but also to the significant boom in social running clubs in recent years.

Stravathe popular running app, said it has seen a 59% increase in participation in running clubs globally this year.

But for Ozo Running Club, the weekly Saturday meetings aren't just about running, pacing or fitness – it's a place where strangers become family.

Even as runners wait to join their respective speed groups—fast, medium, slow, and walking speed—a buzz and energy permeate the tranquility of the park as Afrobeats music pulsates from a nearby loudspeaker.

“Igbo kwenu!” shouts Mr. Odoemene, his voice booming across the park to attract everyone's attention.

The group responds in unison with a low, booming “Yay.”

“Igbo uzo!” he shouts again, his tone both commanding and warm.

Once again, a unified “Eyy” follows, resonating through the runners and setting the tone for the morning.

This traditional Igbo call and response is more than a greeting – it's a moment of pride, a reminder of shared roots and identity that run as deep as their commitment to each other and their weekly run.

“The chant is used as a call for unity, community and love among all the Igbo peoples,” said Mr Odoemene.

Running clubs like Ozo, which are often free, have become places where people can make new friends, build community and possibly even meet future partners.

The co-founders, who met at other Igbo social events, laugh at the prospect of a love story blossoming at their club.

“If people meet the love of their life, that's amazing, but the most important part for us is building a fun community,” Mr Odoemene said.

For For Francesca Ngozi Ezennolim, 21, it wasn't the prospect of romance that brought her all the way from Reading, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) from London, on Saturday morning, but the promise of community.

“I don't have many Igbo friends,” she said, adding: “I have a lot of Nigerian friends, but it's hard to find Igbo friends.”

Dressed in black sportswear, she told the BBC she hoped the running club would fill that hole in her life.

And she's not alone.

A first-timer at the club, Jennifer Iwamadi, 23, echoed the same sentiments.

“It is so important to come to Igbo run club because we can interact with our brothers and sisters. It's a great way to get fit and socialize,” she said.

Although the Igbos are one of Nigeria's largest ethnic groups and are prominent in the diaspora, many believe their culture is under threat. In 2006 The United Nations Cultural Organization (UNESCO) predicts that the Igbo language will disappear by 2025.

In the UK, however, the number has increased over the past decade, from around 8,000 to 11,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In contrast, speakers of Yoruba, the other major language in southern Nigeria, declined from 15,000 to 10,000 during the same period.

However, some young Igbo people told the BBC they struggled to find friends outside their parents' community.

“I have so many Yoruba friends, but I want to meet people from my tribe,” Ms Ezennolim told the BBC.

“When people think of Nigerians, they don't really think of the Igbo. Nigeria is not just one piece but multiple pieces,” Mr. Odoemene said.

But isn't it contradictory to have a running club that focuses on Igbo culture?

The founders shake their heads furiously.

“You don't have to be Igbo to come to the running club,” said Mr Atumonyo.

He adds that people from Iran, Italy and the Caribbean have come to their sessions – and they encourage others to join, learn about Igbo culture, ask questions and soak up the lively atmosphere.

Yet, beneath the joy and camaraderie lies a darker side to Igbo history.

In Nigeria, many people still associate the Igbo with the 1967-70 Biafra war, which resulted in the deaths of around one million people after Igbo leaders in the south-east of the country led a campaign to secede from the rest of the country.

Decades later, the wounds of the war remain raw, still shaping to some extent the way the Igbo people are viewed, both at home and abroad.

In his book The Nigeria Problem, the late Chinua Achebe, one of Nigeria's best-known authors who was an Igbo, said: “Nigerians are unlikely to reach a consensus on any issue other than their general resentment of the Igbo.”

These words capture – according to many Igbo – a history of marginalization that continues to resonate.

For them, this story underscores a deeper purpose—a desire to make their mark and expand the representation of the Igbo.

Uzoma Ehziem, 34, who moved to the UK almost two decades ago, said he did not think Igbo culture was getting the attention it deserved.

He is one of the club's pacers and believes that Yoruba culture dominates what many in the UK and globally consider “Nigerian”.

From legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti to Africa's first Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, and contemporary stars such as Davido, Aira Starr and Thames, many of the most prominent figures in Nigerian pop culture are Yoruba.

The exception is literature, where Achebe and contemporary Igbo authors such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Akwaeke Emezi have gained international prominence.

Many in the running club feel that the world needs to know more about the Igbo people.

“If you tell someone you're Nigerian, the first thing someone will ask is, 'Are you Yoruba?'” Mr Ehziem said.

The club does not only organize running training. Monthly social outings for community members have been added, from karaoke to dodgeball sessions and even an Igbo gala to be held next year.

But for now, the weekly running clubs have become a source of joy and friendship for members.

As the run ends and the whole group reassembles on the benches, Mr. Odoemene surrounds the runners with the same chant of unity.

Old friends meet and new friends greet each other.

People exchange phone numbers, and as they part ways, the promise to meet again next Saturday is a reminder that this is not just a fleeting encounter, but the beginning of lasting bonds rooted in community and cultural pride.