Morris has already clocked that this isn’t standard walkies when we arrive at Bedgebury Forest in Kent on a crisp winter morning. It’s not just because I’m wearing running gear; the venue is not one of our usuals, and we are now heading towards an unfamiliar pack of humans and dogs, all of whom seem very excited (and all of whom are a lot bigger than him).
Morris’s suspicions deepen when, after a friendly greeting, Ginetta George, co-founder of DogFit, interrupts his forensic sniffing of the undergrowth and gently but firmly fits him into a harness.
To be fair, I’m sympathetic as I struggle into my own, which, rather like a rock-climbing harness, loops over each leg and fastens at the waist. It feels a bit like wearing your pants over your trousers. The final act of kitting up is the most important one – attaching a bungee line to both harnesses so that Morris and I are, quite literally, joined at the hip.
We are about to try our respective hands and paws at canicross – running cross-country attached to your dog.
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Canicross: Where it all began
Canicross, Ginetta tells me, originated with the dog-sledding community in northern Europe as a way of keeping dogs fit during the off-season. But over the past two decades, it has evolved from a niche activity into a popular sport in which you are just as likely to encounter a springer spaniel as a Siberian husky.
“We’ve had everything from great Danes to poodles take part in our events,” says Dawn Richards, director of CaniX, which held the UK’s first national championships in 2006. I’m hoping the sport might be just the thing for Morris, a socially awkward rescue Jack Russell with the copper top and limitless energy of a certain brand of battery, but zero recall.
And they’re off...
Excitement fizzes in the crisp air as we prepare for the off. But when pack mates Coco, a German short-haired pointer, and Ted, a Hungarian vizsla, surge forward on Ginetta’s “let’s go!” command, Morris decides to take flying leaps at the bungee line instead.
Ginetta isn’t fazed. “He’s not quite sure what’s being asked of him yet,” she says. And she has just the solution. Standing 50m or so away, she rustles a packet of treats and calls him in a sing-song voice. “Morris! Biscuits!” All at once, I’m whisked forward, getting a glimpse of the exhilaration of being ‘towed’ – even by a 7kg terrier. As we trot back to go again, I can see Morris is getting the idea – and liking it.
I have been a runner for decades, and this isn’t the first time I have taken Morris for a spin. But two things are different about today. Normally, I get Morris to run alongside me rather than out in front – partly because of his tendency to zigzag across the path and stop without warning – but also because to pull wearing a collar and lead would put too much strain on his neck. In the canicross harness, he is learning to forge ahead. It is great to see him bounding along, ears flat against his head, tail horizontal, giving it 100%.
One other difference is the company. “Dogs are pack animals,” says Ginetta. “It’s natural for them to run together. A group is great for novice canicross dogs because they can learn from the others. It also keeps them focused – they don’t want to get left behind!”
Canine connection
Cushla Lamen, a canine exercise physiologist with the CaniCross Clinic, believes the sport can benefit a dog more than ‘free’ running. “When you run with your dog in harness, you both learn how to adapt your running speed, turn the same corner at the same time and decide which side of the tree you are going to go, all of which strengthens your connection,” she says. “Canicross provides a much better mental workout for a dog compared to free running, while also building physical fitness, leading to an overall more contented canine companion.”
Ginetta agrees that canicross deepens the bond between you and your dog. She took up the sport 10 years ago with her German pointer, Coco. “I wasn’t a runner at all then, but Coco hadn’t got on with gundog training and I was looking for an alternative.” The pair enjoyed it from their first go and joined a local group. They have now run several half-marathons together.
“The best thing about canicross is that you are doing something with your dog that benefits you both. It’s very social, too; you immediately share common ground with others.”
It’s also a great workout. “Any running is good aerobic exercise, but running off-road on undulating terrain builds strength, balance, proprioception [the body’s awareness of its location, movements and actions] and coordination,” says Verity Halliday, a CaniCross Clinic running coach who specialises in biomechanics. “Canicross has two additional benefits – it works your core muscles – especially the obliques – more than free running does because the harness is designed to pull from the pelvis, not the lumbar spine,” adds Verity. “Being towed by your dog also helps develop your solo running speed, as it trains you to run faster than you could unassisted.”
If you doubt whether being pulled along by a dog could make much difference to how fast you run, consider that the canicross 5km world record – held by Englishman Ben Robinson – is a blistering 12 minutes, 24 seconds. That’s a full 2 minutes 35 seconds faster than Robinson’s dog-free personal best 5km time of 14.59. Canicrossers at the business end of the sport pick their dogs carefully. Robinson’s dog, Blake, is a ‘Greyster’ – a purpose-bred cross between a German short-haired pointer and a greyhound – and a four-legged package of speed, endurance, focus and determination.
I wasn’t expecting much in the way of a speed injection from my pint-sized pooch – but I was surprised how effortlessly I sailed up the hills thanks to Morris’s pulling power.
Shared spirits
There’s something other than a bungee line that connects humans and dogs in running. Both our species were born not just to do it, but to enjoy it. Evolutionary scientists propose that species requiring endurance activity for their survival evolved to experience pleasure from exercise – the so-called runner’s high.
In a study at the University of Arizona in 2012, researchers found that in humans and dogs, levels of a neurotransmitter called anandamide soared after a brisk run, while in ferrets (for whom endurance activity is not typical) levels did not change. Anandamide is one of a group of brain chemicals, called endocannabinoids, that initiate the runner’s high. The researchers speculate that in endurance-inclined species, these chemicals function as a ‘reward’ to encourage us to do it again. We run, we get a warm glow. We run together and that glow shines even brighter.
And that, perhaps, is the unique gift of canicross. It’s great that it gets you outdoors, in parks and woodland. It’s great that it’s fun and sociable. It’s great that it gets – or keeps – you and your dog fit and healthy. But best of all, it is something that you and your dog can gain equal, and shared, pleasure from, unlike, say, sniffing a pile of horse dung or stopping to chat to someone in the park for ages.
I wrote earlier that there were two things that made my canicross experience different from ‘just’ running. But I’ve thought of another. Something less tangible. When I’ve taken Morris running in the past, it’s been me taking him on my run. With canicross, it feels like our run. Winding our way between the trees, dodging roots and leaping over puddles, we are a team.
“It is great to see him bounding along, ears flat against his head, giving it 100%”
Now try canicross
There are canicross groups, clubs and training sessions all over the UK. Your dog must be at least one year old to take part, but there are no other barriers to participation for either you or your pooch.
DogFit has more than 50 groups in the UK, run by certified canicross trainers. They also offer an eight-week canicross couch–5k programme. “If you are new to canicross, it is advisable to start by walking with the kit, to get used to being hands-free and not holding on to the line, and for your dog to get used to the harness,” recommends Ginetta. “From there, you can progress to walking and running, incorporating some simple commands.” There is further advice on their website, where you will also find their podcast, Talk Canicross.
As well as being home to the CaniCross Clinic, Trailrunners has advice, information and instructional videos on canisports (biking and scootering as well as running) and an online beginners’ programme. There is also a map showing local groups and events across the UK.
CaniX has been running canicross events in the UK since 2005 – many races offer a ‘short course’ of 2km – the perfect distance for your debut – alongside 5km and longer distances. They also run the annual ‘Fur Nations’, a competition between canicrossers from England, Scotland and Wales. The 2019 edition was the biggest-ever canicross event held on British soil.
The British Sled Dog Sports Federation is the UK’s official member body of the International Canicross Federation, which hosts the annual World Championships.
There are canicross groups, clubs and training sessions all over the UK. Your dog must be at least one year old to take part, but there are no other barriers to participation for either you or your pooch.
Canicross kit
If you’re going to run for anything more than a few minutes with your dog, you’re strongly advised to use the correct kit rather than a lead and collar. You’ll need a good-fitting harness for Fido, a harness for yourself (known as a waistbelt, despite the ‘leg holes’) and a bungee line with a clip at both ends. DogFit’s ‘starter kit’ includes all this, along with an introductory booklet and drawstring bag (£89.99). DogFit’s online form will help you choose the kit that is right for you and your dog.
K9TrailTime also stocks a number of popular canicross brands, including Howling Dog, Zero DC, Non-Stop and Arctic Wolf.
You can get by in any running shoes, but trail shoes are ideal for this activity, since their superior grip will help keep you upright on muddy or slippery terrain. Carry some water for both of you, along with some poo bags and, if your dog is as food-motivated as mine, some treats.
Images by Sarah Medway, an outdoor, fine art photographer based in the Eden Valley in Kent. sarahmedwayphotography.com