Frame Running

We are big supporters of this initiative. Held on Wednesdays (5.30-6.30 pm) and Saturdays (10-11 am) at Meadowmill Sports Centre, by Tranent in East Lothian.

Frame Running allows you to walk or run – with no chance of falling - with the aid of a custom-built trike without pedals. You are supported by a saddle and body plate, and you propel yourself forwards using your feet whilst steering with your hands. You don’t have to move fast. It’s great for just allowing you to practice a walking or running movement in the fresh air.

Find out more about Frame Running or join the Facebook Page.

Frame Running was developed in the 1990s for children with cerebral palsy. Be part of the first group in Scotland for adults with MS.

Where can you try Frame Running?

You can have a FREE one-to-one taster at Meadowmill Sports Centre

LOCATION: East Lothian Athletics Arena, Meadowmill Sports Centre, By Tranent, EH33 1LZ.

Simply tell us what day and time suits you – please get in touch with either Gary, Gillian or Georgia.

A qualified coach will set you up with a frame and take you through a few warm-up exercises. Then off you go! Get a feel for whether you’d like to join the free weekly group sessions.

Can I get down to the track?

Meadowmill Sports Centre has a dedicated accessible toilet and changing facilities, ramp access to indoor and outdoor areas, and accessible parking spaces. Mostly, we choose to park next to the track and transfer onto the frame, with help if necessary.

I enjoyed the taster session. What next?

You can come along to FREE weekly sessions. We meet on Wednesday afternoon (5.30 pm) and Saturday morning (10.00 am) at the Meadowmill Sports Centre. Sessions last 45 minutes, and you can do as much or as little as you like, from one week to the next.

The only group of its kind.

By getting involved, you will be helping the MS Society look at the benefits of Frame Running for adults with MS.

There are very few research studies into Frame Running. Most have included only young people with cerebral palsy.

In 2022, the MS Society UK, Queen Margaret University and the physiotherapists at Compass came together to create a 12-week Frame Running programme specifically for people living with MS. You do not have to take part in this study to be able to join in.

Helen Wass-O’Donnell has been an active service user and member of Compass for over ten years.

In 2019, when Frame Running was introduced to Compass, Helen was driven to Meadowmill Sports Centre, to the running track: “Because of the frame, I had the freedom to walk, jog or run safely (no pedals, remember!).

Frame Running is built with disability in mind. Attachments provide extra strength, safety, and in my case, stability from falling!” On her first visit, after a few attempts around the 400-metre track, she was ‘both knackered and hooked’. “Me! No longer able to run, walk unaided without falling or engage in any sport – even seated – here I was, running around a proper athletic track. Wow-wee! Amazing.”

Helen looked forward to the weekly sessions. “Since then, with funding from a grant, I have my own frame which I use for distance walking; something which was impossible,” she says. “And I took part in the Great North 5K. Frame Running means I can participate in non-disabled sporting events. I’m regularly out and about. It’s a brilliant way to exercise. It’s a fantastic help towards staying well (especially because it means I am outdoors), and it’s great for my mental health.”

Does she have any advice? “Try it!! It’s an adaptive activity, and you might find, like me, that it’s a life-changer. I plan to keep Frame Running – even see if I can pick up a few medals.”