Andy Devaney
For one night in Stratford, West Ham United traded VAR checks and sliding tackles for split times and sweaty high-fives. In the shadow of the London Stadium, more than 300 runners laced up for the club’s latest community Track Night, turning the London Marathon Community Track into a kind of off-duty matchday – minus the offsides and with significantly more Lycra.
The event, run in partnership with long-standing network partner Lyca Mobile, drew runners from every corner of east London: club diehards, casual joggers, local running crews and a smattering of people who looked like they’d accidentally signed up for a parkrun and stumbled into a Premier League operation.
Front and centre was Czech midfielder Tomáš Souček, the sort of player who usually runs 12km before you’ve finished your half-time pie, now deployed as chief motivator rather than box-to-box enforcer.
Souček Swaps Midfield Engine Room for Pacing Duties
Souček didn’t just turn up for a handshake and a selfie. Before the guided 5k got going, he joined runners on the London Marathon Community Track, talked through their questions in a relaxed Q&A and then stayed to cheer on the effort he usually inspires from the stands.
Speaking following the Track Night, Soucek said: “It was a pleasure to come and support the runners this evening.
“During my time at the Club, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact it has on the local community and tonight was another fantastic example of that.
“Running has a powerful way of bringing people together and can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing. It’s brilliant to see the Club creating opportunities like this for people of all ages and abilities to get involved.”
If you wanted a neat summary of what West Ham United are trying to do beyond 90 minutes of football, there it is. This wasn’t a star-drop appearance; it was a Premier League player leaning into the simple idea that moving your legs in company is good for your head as well as your hamstrings.
Warm-Up Like a Pro, Run Like a Local
The night followed a simple but well-drilled structure. Runners first went through a guided warm-up led by West Ham coaches and running experts – think movement prep, not old-school star jumps – before heading out on a 5k overseen by Mackyard Events, a local running club known for supporting community events.
Mackyard provided pacers to help people chase personal bests or simply get round in one piece. For some, this was about seconds and stopwatch splits. For others, it was about proving that they could cover 5k under the lights of one of sport’s most recognisable postcodes.
Around the track, you could see all the usual running subcultures: the PB-hunters, the social joggers, the nervous first-timers and the “I’ve only come because my mate signed me up” brigade – all being treated like they’d just been called up to the first team.
Red Bull, BrewDog and the New Matchday Ritual
Because no modern sporting occasion is complete without sponsors, the Track Night came stocked. Light refreshments were on hand throughout, including Red Bull from the Club’s Official Energy Drinks Partner. Afterwards, runners raised cans of BrewDog’s new 0.0% beer, Mello, courtesy of the Club’s Official Beer Partner.
Instead of pints and fried food outside the stadium, this was electrolyte drinks, alcohol-free beer and the knowing look you give someone who’s just discovered their legs again. Same badge on the chest, different kind of ritual.
Lyca Mobile’s Long Game With the Hammers
For Lyca Mobile, this wasn’t a one-off PR jog. The brand has been stitched into West Ham United’s story for more than a decade, particularly in east London, where both have been busy using sport as a reason to get people in the same place for the same good reasons.
Prem Sivasamy, Deputy Chairman at Lyca Mobile, said: “We are proud to sponsor and support West Ham’s community initiatives, and events like the Hammers Track Night are a great example of how sport can bring people together and promote healthier lifestyles.
It’s fantastic to see the positive impact these initiatives have, and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with the club to create meaningful opportunities in sport, education and personal development for people across East London.”
From the Lyca Mobile Cup to these Track Nights, the pattern is clear: football club plus local brand, using grassroots sport to knit together a famously diverse corner of the capital.
“Beyond the Pitch” Without the Slogan
Every club talks about “community” now; it’s practically a fourth kit. The test is what that looks like when there isn’t a TV truck in sight. Here, it looked like free access to a world-class facility, coaches who know what they’re doing, and an environment where beginners and club runners shared the same track.
The Track Nights give locals a safe place to run, meet people and chase their own fitness goals. After two successful events in 2025, the Hammers have clearly decided this is more than a box-ticking exercise. The format is deliberately inclusive: doesn’t matter if you’re already knocking out half marathons or nervously restarting after years off, the door – and the gate – is open.
West Ham United Executive Director, Nathan Thompson, added:– “For more than a decade, Lyca Mobile and West Ham United have worked side by side to create meaningful opportunities through sport, particularly for those in our local community who benefit most from access and inclusion.
This long-standing partnership is built on shared values and a genuine desire to make a positive difference beyond the pitch. We are proud to continue that journey together with Lyca Mobile supporting Track Night, which was an incredible success, with community at its heart.“
It’s a rare statement that actually resembles what unfolded on the night: access, inclusion and a lot of people discovering they can run further and faster than they thought, right next to the place they normally just watch others do the hard work.
Running Boom Meets East London Identity
Running participation has surged across London and the wider UK in recent years. Parkruns are packed, road races sell out, and fitness apps are more cluttered than a Boxing Day fixture list. What West Ham United are doing is plugging directly into that trend and giving it a claret-and-blue accent.
By leaning into running-focused events, the club is betting that if you let people experience the London Stadium precinct as their own training ground, they’ll feel a deeper connection to the badge, the place and to one another. This is about active lifestyles, yes, but also about identity – about feeling that elite sporting venues aren’t just somewhere you go every other weekend to watch someone else live their dream.
Track Nights, supported by Lyca Mobile, sharpen that idea: regular, structured opportunities for people of all backgrounds to connect through the positive power of sport, no ticket required.
What It Means Going Forward
For West Ham United, the success of this latest Track Night is likely to strengthen their commitment to a programme that lives well beyond matchdays. With more running-focused events planned, the club is carving out a role not just as a Premier League team but as a physical activity hub for East London.
The equation is simple enough: more people moving, more often, in a place they already care about. The effect, if they keep this up, could be anything but simple – better health outcomes, stronger ties to the club, and a fanbase that can probably outrun most counter-attacks.
And for the 300-plus who turned up under the Stratford lights, it was something even simpler: a free 5k, a brush with a Czech international, a can of 0.0% beer and the quiet satisfaction of jogging past the stadium and thinking, “This is ours too.”
