Echo Leading Lights Sports Awards 2020: Leon Johnson, Volunteer Award
AT THE start of the year Leon Johnson decided to encourage people in his community to get out and be active by way of setting up Crumlin Running Club.
The former Crumlin United footballer had, himself, been in search of a means to keeping fit after being forced to retire from soccer with a bad knee injury.
Crumlin Running Club founder Leon Johnson receives ‘The Echo Sports Volunteer Award from South Dublin County Mayor, Ed O’Brien and Sharon Moylan, Sales Manager, Green Isle Hotel
Beginning with just a handful of members, Crumlin Running Club has grown to involve up to 40 people whose efforts have certainly benefitted local Dublin hospitals in 2020.
In April Johnson ran his first ever marathon on his local green in Windmill Park, raising €8,500 for St James Hospital.
And six months later in October, adhering to Covid guidelines, he got 42 members of his new club involved in a virtual Dublin Marathon and Half Marathon, garnering €14,400 for Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin.
Delighted with the response to his new club, Johnson said “It’s a local community club free of charge and we’re just trying to get people out running.
“We started up in January with between four and six members and we’re up to between 30 and 40 now. We do a few days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and occasionally Saturday and Sunday.
“We did a couple of charity events this year. The first one was for St James’s Hospital and the second one was for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.
“We did a marathon on both occasions. I did one myself and then I got a lot of people from the community involved in the second one. We did well and we hope to push on in 2021.
“The main thing is for people to meet new people all the time. A lot of people don’t like running on their own and find it better running with groups of people.
“I’m delighted with the award from The Echo and the South Dublin County Sports Partnership and it’s down to everybody in the club and their commitment.
Without them involved, it’s not a running club, it’s just me going out on my own so it’s down to all them as well.”
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