Nigerian Igbos form running club in UK to strengthen ties

In London’s famous Hyde Park around 11:00 on a crisp Saturday morning, runners gather around several benches – some tall and thin, others broad and strong, some on Strava, but they all have one common thread – most of them are of Nigerian descent from the Igbo.

This is the Ozo Running Club, created by the Igbo people to celebrate the culture of one of the largest of Nigeria’s more than 300 ethnic groups.

“We wanted to create a space where young Igbo people could connect and reclaim their culture,” said Chibueze Odaemene, who co-founded the club with Emeka Otumonioga and Chigo Ogbonna.

In less than three months, the Ozo running club already has more than 300 members.

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

A dishthe popular running program, reported a 59% increase in the number of members of running clubs worldwide this year.

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

Even as runners wait to join their respective speed groups – fast, medium, slow and walking pace – the buzz and energy cuts through the silence of the park as Afrobeats pulsates from a nearby speaker.

“Igbo kwenu!” Mr. Odoemene shouts, his voice echoing across the park to get everyone’s attention.

The group responds in unison with a low rumble of “Hey.”

“Igbo uzo!” – he calls again in a commanding and warm tone.

Again, the single “Hey” that echoes through the runners and sets the tone for the morning.

More than a greeting, this traditional Igbo call and response is a moment of pride, a reminder of shared roots and identities that run as deep as their commitment to one another and their weekly jog.

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

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

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

“When people meet the love of their life, it’s amazing, but the most important part for us is building a fun community,” Mr Odamene said.

For Francesca Ngozi Ezennolim, 21, was drawn from Reading, about 64km (40 miles) from London, on Saturday morning not by the prospect of romance but by 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 a black tracksuit, she told the BBC she hoped the running club would fill a hole in her life.

And she is not alone.

A first-timer at the club, 23-year-old Jennifer Iwuamadi echoed the same sentiments.

“It is very important to come to the Igbo running club because we can communicate with our brothers and sisters. It’s a great way to get fit and socialize,” she said.

Although the Igbo are one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups and are prominent in the diaspora, many feel their culture is under threat. In 2006, the United Nations cultural organization (UNESCO) predicted that the Igbo language would be extinct by 2025.

However, in the UK their number has risen over the past decade – from around 8,000 to 11,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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

However, some young Igbo men told the BBC that they find it difficult to make friends outside their parents’ community.

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

“When people think of a Nigerian, they don’t really think of an Igbo. Nigeria is not one piece, it is several pieces,” Mr Odoemene said.

But isn’t it divisive to have a running club that targets Igbo culture?

The founders nod sharply.

“You don’t have to be Igbo to come to a running club,” Mr Otumoniyoga said.

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

Yet, behind the joy and camaraderie, there is a dark side to Igbo history.

In Nigeria, many people still associate the Igbo with the 1967-70 Biafra war, in which about a million people died after Igbo leaders in the southeast led a campaign to secede from the rest of the country.

Decades later, the wounds of the war remain sharp, still to some extent shaping attitudes towards the Igbo people both at home and abroad.

In his book The Trouble with Nigeria, the late Chinua Achebe, one of Nigeria’s best-known authors who was an Igbo, said: “Nigerians are likely to reach consensus on nothing other than their common resentment of the Igbo.”

These words reflect – in the view of many Igbos – a history of marginalization that continues to resonate.

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

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

He is one of the members of the club and believes that Yoruba culture dominates what many in the UK and around the world think of as ‘Nigerian’.

From legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti to Africa’s first Nobel laureate, Wole Sainki, to contemporary stars such as Davido, Ira Starr and Tams, many of the most famous 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 believe that the world should know more about the Igbo people.

“When you tell someone you’re Nigerian, the first thing someone asks is, ‘Are you Yoruba?'” Mr Eziem said.

The club does not only run. He has added monthly social outings for community members, from karaoke to bounce ball classes and even an Igbo gala next year.

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

As the race ends and the whole group meets again at the benches, Mr. Odoemene surrounds the runners with the same chant of unity.

Old friends catch up and new friends are welcomed.

People exchange phone numbers, and when they part ways, a promise to meet again the following Saturday is a reminder that this is not just a fleeting encounter, but the beginning of a lasting relationship based on community and cultural pride.