A running club set up by a personal trainer is thriving with more than 200 people joining in a matter of months.

Rocup, which stands for “rise over challenges”, was launched in November last year by Rudy O’Halloran with just 17 members.

Since then, hundreds have taken part in free events at different locations across Birmingham to boost their mental and physical wellbeing.

Rudy left behind a life of crime and prison sentences and is now using his past to help others have a better future.

It led him to start the club to “bring people together, get people physically moving and build up the city”.

Music blasting on speakers, stewards racing alongside and megaphones blaring with encouragement, are some of the things you can expect to keep you on track.

Of his time in jail, he said: “I needed like a sense of purpose, I needed a sense of community and when I was in prison I used fitness to give me that sense of purpose.”

He now also delivers workshops to colleges to show that it is never too late to turn your life around.

Heniya Azzerghni joined the club with her roommate on Christmas Day last year.

She said people were “just so welcoming” and the events have great vibes.

Thousands of people have watched videos of the community running club on social media, with one comment saying there was “nowhere better to be on a Saturday morning”.

Jonathan Sillwood was standing alone when he arrived at the event for the first time.

But not for long, as within two minutes people approached him “as if they’d known me my whole life”.

“I really enjoyed myself and I pretty much made the decision at 7am this morning that I was gonna get on the bus and come here,” he said.