We're open Monday to Friday 08:00 - 20:00 Book now: 0207 583 8288

Our clinic is open with experts providing both online and face-to-face appointments. Book Online Now

Supporting Your Charity Runners

 

Save thousands of pounds in lost revenue whilst building a highly motivated team

We understand from over a decade of experience supporting charity runners, that we are able to prevent the average charity from losing ten percent of participants through lost motivation or injury. For a charity with 500 runners, this translates into a lost revenue of £100,000 each year. Octopus Clinic brings together a proactive team of qualified health professionals including physiotherapists, osteopaths, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, Pilates instructors, and other sports health experts who are highly experienced in delivering the latest running research in a practical and fun way. This prevents drop-outs and enhances wellbeing and motivation to prevent revenue loss.  

‘Octopus Clinic has supported Team Anthony Nolan since 2011 and has provided training and injury prevention advice for #TeamAN runners who are taking on the London Marathon. Lucy and her team motivate and inspire the team and equip them with the advice they need to keep them happy and healthy in the run-up to race day. She is a huge asset to #TeamAN, and we love working with her.’ Events Coordinator, Anthony Nolan

Our team of experts delivers weekly Live Q&A sessions, advice and exercise videos, social media support, written and video content for your websites and newsletters, the Octopus Clinic Marathon Handbook, and e-physio. We cover the latest evidence-based running research in a fun and practical way including nutrition, training plans, stretches, strength and conditioning, injury prevention, injury self-management, and psychological support. We have over three hundred passionate five-star reviews on GoogleMaps and Facebook which demonstrate the quality of our services. Check out our video of testimonials and the handy infographic below for a summary of how we work. 

‘I simply wouldn’t have made it without the Octopus Clinic. Their online material helped me stay in top condition and injury-free!’
 
‘I was part of the Clic Sargent Virtual London Marathon 2020 team. Octopus Clinic supported the team before and after the run. They held regular Q&A sessions and gave guidance around training, stretching, and injuries, how to avoid them, and recover from them. Their advice was invaluable.’
 
‘I live in Australia but am running the London Marathon in a few weeks. Having access to Octopus Clinic’s knowledge and experience (by email and social media) has enabled me to work through a few and varied niggles. They replied promptly to emails and pointed me towards the appropriate exercise and advice videos for my issues, which were very easy to follow. I feel very lucky to have had Octopus Clinic’s services available to me and would highly recommend.’ 
 
 

How we do it

This video of testimonials gives and insight into how we do it:

 

… and here is a handy infographic summarizing all the components that are explained in more detail below:

 

 

1) Advice and Exercise Videos

People are nine times more likely to recall information by video compared to the written word which is why we are dedicated to providing video advice in a fun and professional manner.

We have produced over thirty running advice videos in the past twelve months and in this time period they have had over 125000 views, over four hundred positive comments, and over six hundred likes. Topics range from recovery, nutrition, stress management to how to self-manage injuries and when to seek help. We can share these for you on your social media pages and groups like Facebook and Strava and you can use them on your website and emails.

We have a library of over one hundred free exercise videos on our website which include stretches, using a foam roller, running technique, Pilates, and physio rehab exercises. We use these to create exercise programs for strength and conditioning, mobility, injury prevention, and injury management. 

‘I am finding your posts really informative and reassuring’

‘Your articles on Facebook are extremely helpful’

‘Fantastic videos, I’m finding them very helpful’

 

 

2) Weekly Live Q&As

Every week we answer between ten and thirty questions in our Friday Physio Live Q&A sessions which are streamed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The sessions are recorded so that those who cannot attend can send us questions in advance and watch the playbacks. They give runners the opportunity to get regular free advice on training, injuries, nutrition as well as a regular check-in to boost motivation and provide moral support.

‘If it hadn’t been for her expert advice and the opportunity to seek a second opinion, my marathon dreams would have been over.’

‘Great support for people running the London Marathon for Clic.’

‘The online Q&A sessions are brilliant and the video resources of specific exercises and movements are clear and easy to follow.’

 
 

3) Training workshops

These events are designed to inspire, inform and reassure runners. They involve practical exercise demonstrations, interactive presentations on nutrition, injury prevention, and self-management tips and training myth busters. Runners leave the sessions feeling confident they have our professional support whenever they need it. 

‘Lucy delivered the practical and informative session in a relaxed and easy-to-understand way.’

‘Lucy saw me for 2mins at the training day, told me I hadn’t got what I thought, but instead inflamed tendons around my hamstring, gave me some exercises to do and the pain has been better.’

‘Thank you so much, I met you at the training day in London where you diagnosed me with inflamed tendons around my hamstrings and I have felt much better despite my increased distances.’

 

4) Written and video content for your website and e-newsletters

We provide video and written content for your website training pages and e-newsletters so they feel supported every step of the way. Our reputation for providing high-quality content is why we are regular expert contributors in the media including The Times, BBC online, The Daily Mail, The Guardian and The Telegraph. 

‘I have been following your great advice and tips. I am new to long-distance running so thank you for everything you have shared so far, it is really helping me to progress with as little pain as possible.’

‘Thank you so much for all this information. I will take it all on board and go steady. These links are really useful!!’

‘Super supportive and loads of resources.’

 

5) Octopus Clinic Marathon Handbook

We will give you the comprehensive ‘Octopus Clinic Marathon Handbook’ branded with your charity’s logo and colours ready to give to your runners at the start of their marathon journey. The handbook is based on over twenty years of marathon experience and breaks down the information into easily digestible monthly sections. You can read more information on the content of the Octopus Clinic Marathon Handbook here

‘Wow! Thank you! This information is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! Very much appreciated!’ 

 

6) E-Physio

In the current climate, the NHS waiting lists for physiotherapy are extremely long and they are unable to provide specialist running physio. Most people are also unable to afford private physiotherapy. Our E-Physio service is an affordable way of you providing specialist running physiotherapy for your runners.  

Our experience has taught us that runners frequently contact charities with the following messages:

  • I am injured so I think I have to stop running because I am scared I will do long term damage
  • My physio/chiro/GP/osteopath has told me not to run so I am going to pull out
  • I have not trained enough so I don’t think I can run it
  • I am too stressed/injured/unfit/tired/overweight to run

Our statistics show that 95% of those who receive email or phone advice from us do not pull out and instead go on to complete their marathon and fundraising targets. The remaining 5% account for injuries like stress fractures that we pick up that would have been dangerous to run through like hip stress fractures or DVTs.

As specialist running physiotherapists we are qualified and insured to give advice on how people can self-manage their injury safely and can pick up the rare cases in which they need to see their GP or seek emergency assistance. On the flip side, we also get hundreds of people back to running when they have been told to rest by less experienced physios or health professionals. It is made possible by our library of physio exercise videos

We have a network of leading medical, health and, fitness experts at our fingertips with whom we have an excellent reputation and call on them for assistance when required.   

We suggest setting up an email address like physio@yourcharity.org.uk or training@yourcharity.org.uk that is actively promoted in your newsletters, online events, and social media groups as the go-to place if people are starting to worry about their training and/or have been advised by another health professional not to run. Analysis of the emails helps to show who is accessing support and enables us to understand who may need more support and therefore reduce dropouts further. 

Here are some testimonials from people who have benefited from our e-physio service:

‘A fantastic professional who saved me from deferring this year’s London Marathon. 

‘She is helping our charity for the London marathon and she’s really helped me out with 2 issues (by email,) firstly my knee, she gave me a few exercises to do and they worked a treat and secondly on plantar fascitis. Fully recommended.’

‘Great videos, the running man is helping my knees.’

‘Quick response (by email) when support needed and offers great advice!’

‘I am doing the exercises you suggested (by email) and I definitely think my ankle is improving as a result.’

‘I have started to do the exercises that you send me and I am already feeling better, thank you.’

‘I found the article about knee pain in runners very interesting and have started to put your useful videos into practice, especially the one that teaches how to push off with the big toe area. I went out for a 40 min run/walk today and concentrated so much on pushing off the right way. No more knee or groin pain!’

 

7) Discounted diagnosis and treatment

We provide discounted diagnosis and treatment for our one-to-one video consultations. To learn more about video consultations and read passionate testimonials from previous patients please click here. We know how to get people back to enjoying running in as minimal time as possible and give them all the tools to need to recover including advice on nutrition, their training programme, their running technique, exercises, stretches, and most importantly, moral support.

‘I had an injury and saw a different physio 7/8 times with no improvement, Octopus Clinic sorted me in one session.’

After three years of injuries and the prospect of another long recovery period ahead of me, the virtual sessions Octopus shaved months off of my recovery time and got me back on the road with time to train for my next marathon. With the right diagnosis, and by identifying other mechanical weaknesses that have generated years of injuries, they have me running again. I may be in New York, but the virtual sessions have me feeling stronger than ever.’

‘One consultation helped me recover from an Achilles issue whilst continuing to train.’

‘I was struggling with knee problems in training for a marathon and was totally overwhelmed and confused about what to do and who to see. Lucy has been absolutely incredible, sorting out my knee INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVELY and QUICKLY but also reassuring and calming me – she understands that people running a marathon for charity have often gone through something, and that training is an emotional challenge as well as a physical one.’ 

‘I suffered for almost a year with Achillies’ problems, saw physios, podiatrists, osteopaths, soft tissue therapists, and had shock therapy. None of them resolved my issues. All my treatment was over WhatsApp – I had 4 sessions. The first was where she looked at my posture, history, had me doing some movements etc. so she could look for imbalances. Within a few weeks, I was comfortable running and I felt confident I wasn’t going to do any more damage. They listen, give solid advice, and manageable exercises. I am back running and in full training for the London Marathon.’

 

Packages to suit your budget

We have created packages to suit your budget, please get in touch and we can send you costings. We are equally happy to create bespoke packages to fit your requirements. 

1)    The Free Running Package:

  • Advice Videos for your social media groups
  • Weekly Friday Physio Q&A Sessions Live-streamed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 
  • Discounted Physio Consultations 

2)    The Core Running Package:

  • The weekly advice videos, Q&A sessions and: 
  • Written and video content for your website and e-newsletters 
  • Octopus Clinic Marathon Handbook
  • Training workshops: four hours spread over 2-4 sessions

3)    E- Physio Running Package 

  • All the support of the Core Running Package plus:
  • E-physio: bespoke email and telephone advice and reassurance on individual runners injuries, training, and nutrition

4)    The Full Running Package

  • All the support of the E-Physio Package plus:
  • Two training days or the equivalent twelve hours by Zoom or Teams (can be spread over 6-12 sessions)

We would love to talk through your requirements, so please do call Lucy Macdonald on 07769653715 or email lucy@octopusclinic.com

We look forward to supporting you. 

Happy running!

Lucy Macdonald and the Octopus Clinic Team

 

For free videos, up to date news or special offers, subscribe now! Subscribe Now

For free videos, up to date news or special offers, subscribe now!

We promise to never share your email address with anyone.