Runningstories #15
Runningstories #15
11 November 2025
Traces of a different path towards rehabilitation
Michael Houston – communication for ATS Athletics Trust Scotland, asked us for an interview about the ongoing work of Runforever to feature on local and national media. The interview was more a conversation between Paolo Maccagno CEO Runforever and Michael Houston. It has been the opportunity to retrace Runforever’s path from its beginning in early 2023. It highlights the importance of building relationships for a different path of rehabilitation which doesn’t look for expected results but let them emerge spontaneously like the Writers in Residence group. It shows how Runforever moved from organising running races to promote the Silent Run, a memorial run for people who died.
Interview – Conversation: Michael Houston – communication for ATS Athletics Trust Scotland, interviews Paolo Maccagno.
0:00 Runningstories show trailer
0:15 (MH): can you tell me about Runforever work in relation to rehabilitation
11:00 (PM): summary of the work done by Runforever from the beginning in 2023 through running and Feldenkrais building bridges between inside and outside.
03:30 (MH): where the idea of Runforever comes from?
04:10 (PM): personal practice of marathon running and experience of the wall of the marathon teaching accepting weaknesses. Attending theatre performance inside a prison in Milan and first insight about bringing marathon running inside the walls of the prison. Links with Feldenkrais as preparation to the “wall” and changing mindset
08:15 (PM): working with Stephanie Morrison creating a good atmosphere for developing healthy relationships. Running and Feldenkrais as practices starting from the body and movement enabling opening the self in a safe way.
10:25 (PM): about rehabilitation, we have never asked for specific results, but now those results are happening and emerging spontaneously. The Writers in residence group is one of these results where people part of our activities engaged in writing poems and stories about themselves as an expressive writing practice.
13:15 (MH): this is very holistic, how can you convince HMPG of the value of what you propose?
13:30 (PM): Lucky to meet good people at HMPG especially the Recovery and Health and Wellbeing team.
17:50 (PM): running started to be different, about the Silent Run
19:30 Michael: How your work is done in the prison every week and who can participate?
20:30 (PM): description of Runforever activity and the challenges working in prison environment. “Being there always” to create trust in people in prison. Not looking for big numbers but wanting to create a good group with a good atmosphere.
25:50 (MH): about the lack of state funding impacting on organisation like Runforever. What are the results of Runforever from your point of view?
27:00 (PM): a few anecdotes as answers, highlighting personal engagement in processes of self-healing.
30:45 (MH): have you been able to keep in touch with people who moved out?
31:15 (PM): some good examples but difficulties in maintaining relationships. Need of working in this direction much more. The Silent Run as an example of bridging inside and outside and working in partnership with other organisations like Ace Voices – Alec Thompson Miller.
37:10 (MH): how the funding from ATS supported your programme and how more funding would help expanding your activity?
37: 45 (PM): mention of running events organised at HMPG from 2023 and recent development with the Silent Run. Funding support those events but also all the work in preparation of the activities in the prison including cultivating the ground for a new culture around rehabilitation.
41:20 (MH): how many runners do you have per week?
41:45 (PM): around 10/15 people per session each week and around 200 over the years we have been working. The more important thing for us is creating relationships and the group doesn’t change so much and people engage with curiosity suggesting paths to follow.