© Diane Leyre
Diane Leyre, Miss France 2022, launches her running club “Running Queens”
Since the Covid pandemic, amateur running clubs have been popping up everywhere, a trend that keeps growing and is especially visible on social media. The latest initiative comes from Diane Leyre, Miss France 2022, who is launching “Running Queens,” a women-focused running group created by and for female runners. The first session is scheduled for November 23 in Paris.
“I wanted to create a space where women can meet, move, breathe, talk, laugh, and recentre themselves. A moment for yourself, but never by yourself,” Diane Leyre wrote on Instagram last October. She discovered running only a year ago, yet it has become a genuine form of therapy for her. On her social platforms, Diane Leyre explains that running has transformed her daily life, giving her a precious time-out to reconnect with herself. The model regularly encourages her community — especially her female followers — to carve out moments to get active and take care of their well-being.
| Overcoming Worry
Many women then reached out to her with questions about her routine. How do you learn to run alone, get started, or find time to train in an already packed schedule? Those recurring messages inspired her to create a women-only running club.
But beyond motivation, the radio host noticed that many of them were simply afraid to train outdoors, especially because of the risk of harassment or assault. Diane Leyre has experienced this herself — she was once followed on a train, an incident that left a mark and pushed her to take action in her own way to support other women. Miss France 2022 knows this feeling well. She enjoys running in the evening, a time of day that can discourage many women. Launching this initiative just as the days grow shorter offers a much-needed sense of safety and structure.
| Empowering Women
“Running Queens is a women-only run, with no stopwatch and no pressure — just the desire to feel alive, strong, and grounded. We run, we talk, we share, and we encourage each other to take control of our lives, step by step.”
Diane Leyre, Miss France 2022
The idea is to offer a supportive, nonjudgmental space — a setting “where you feel protected, surrounded, and strong.” These sessions will also be an opportunity to discuss topics such as motivation, self-confidence, mental health, daring to take action, and making choices. “It’s more than a physical run; it’s an inner journey,” the Paris-born Miss France 2022 explains. Through Running Queens, the goal is to help women feel free and legitimate in taking up space in the public sphere, beyond the act of exercising. It’s a movement meant to rebuild confidence in female runners and, in its own way, give them a sense of empowerment.
The first gatherings will take place in Paris on the morning of November 23, the evening of November 27, and the morning of November 30 during the Paris 17 10K. Ten women will take part in the first session, with more spots opening in the following weeks. Participation is free, with online registration through Diane Leyre’s social media channels. She hopes to make these meet-ups accessible to as many women as possible, noting that the cost of certain activities can be a real barrier to participation.
| Encouraging Movement
Diane Leyre is not only the founder of Running Queens. The model regularly uses her social media platforms to encourage her community to stay active. She often records herself while running and shares supportive, motivational messages. A few weeks ago, this new runner even challenged herself to take on the iconic Marseille-Cassis race, all while filming the experience. It’s the kind of positive content that inspires her followers to embrace running with enthusiasm.
Beyond her desire to create a women-only running club, Diane Leyre hopes to provide a supportive environment that encourages women to train outdoors. There is little doubt that Running Queens will attract many followers. It’s an initiative worth celebrating, one that contributes to making running more accessible and helps women reclaim public spaces with confidence and peace of mind.
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Emma BERT
Journaliste
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