Meet The Coopah Refugee Run Club: designers of this year’s finisher T-shirt and medal
Rawand Gurun and Paul Mwila, two of the designers of this year’s finisher items, have had their lives transformed through running.
They arrived alone in the UK without a support network, but chance meetings with Coopah’s Refugee Run Club would change that. Rawand, who arrived in the UK from Kurdistan in 2020, was not able to run 5K continuously, and Paul, who travelled from Zambia in 2022, was running alone at 04:00, unaware of the running communities around him.
They both find strength and hope in running and have helped co-design a medal and T-shirt for The Big Half 2025 that symbolise resilience and the promise that difficult times do come to an end. The design features interlocking rings to represent the diverse journeys that unite at The Big Half – a powerful symbol of solidarity and togetherness. The confetti, sprinkled on the medal, illustrates the joy of the crowds supporting participants and the emotion of crossing the Finish Line besides the historic Cutty Sark.
How the design embodies Rawand’s and Paul’s journey with Coopah.
Growing up in Kurdistan, Rawand was immersed in the thriving football culture, but it wasn’t until he moved to the UK that running became a part of his life.
He was volunteering for a homeless charity when he met Coopah co-founder, Dan Strang, who introduced him to the Refugee Run Club.
It was a lifeline for the now 28-year-old, who had moved to the UK during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it was difficult to meet anyone, let alone develop friendships. He became a regular at the Brueton Park parkrun in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and a Coopah Ambassador in 2023.
“I love the running culture in the UK,” says Rawand, who completed the 2024 TCS London Marathon. “People you run with become close friends and you’re all supporting each other. Running is free and available whenever you want. It’s not about being the best. It's just about gradually increasing your mileage and improving your lifestyle.”
Not only has he formed close bonds with others, but also with himself. “Running has helped me find myself,” Rawand explains.
On designing the finisher items, he says: “Taking part in events is not just about getting a medal – it's the feeling of people cheering you on, so we wanted to show how you feel that support and how joyful it makes you. We also wanted to include some London landmarks like the Cutty Sark. It feels big when you run past certain places and it affects you emotionally.”
Running without borders
Like Rawand, it was a chance encounter with Coopah that led to Paul joining the Refugee Run Club.
When the 41-year-old first came to London, he was running through the quiet streets of Crystal Palace at 04:00 – so that no one would see him.
At the time, he had no idea that communities such as parkrun even existed. By the time other runners were heading out, Paul was already showered and back in bed. That changed in 2023, when he met Coopah’s Andrew Laidlaw in a hotel lobby. They exchanged numbers and soon after Paul joined his first group run with Coopah, at Crystal Palace parkrun.
Since then, Paul’s running journey has been full of firsts – from 10K to his first full marathon, the 2025 TCS London Marathon, which he completed in 4:23:27.
Running is more than just a hobby for Paul – it’s been a lifeline. For the past three years, he’s been waiting on a decision about his residency, while confined to a hotel assigned by the Home Office.
While others he’s met have moved on, Paul remains in limbo – a situation he describes as deeply disheartening. But through it all, Coopah has been his anchor when he’s needed it most.
“Coopah has kept me afloat during really difficult times,” Paul says. “So many of the experiences I’ve had are thanks to them. Running wasn't something that I thought would take me where it has taken me.
“I’ve met so many people, been to new places, and found a community. Running will be part of my life for as long as my legs let me – hopefully a long, long time.”
Paul was touched to be part of the design team for The Big Half 2025 finisher items and was keen to express the importance of staying strong when times are tough.
“We wanted to show how the landmarks connect to our lives, and that no matter what you’re going through, difficult times always come to an end.”