West Ham United and Lyca Mobile Bring East London Together for Track Night

The third edition of the West Ham United Track Night drew runners from across East London for a free 5K at the London Marathon Community Track

West Ham United and long-time partner Lyca Mobile welcomed over 120 runners to Stratford on February 27 for the latest edition of the club’s community Track Night. The free 5K event, held at the London Marathon Community Track with the London Stadium as its backdrop, brought together everyone from seasoned runners chasing personal bests to complete newcomers lacing up for the first time.

West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček joined the evening, taking part in the warm-up alongside club coaches and running experts before sticking around for a Q&A session and photos with attendees. The Czech international has become a familiar face at the club’s community events, and his presence added a matchday buzz to what was already a packed evening.

A Running Club, Not Just a Run

The 5K itself was led by Mackyard Events, a local running club that provided pacing support for participants at every level. For those looking to break their personal best, pacers were on hand to keep them honest. For newcomers, the structured but low-pressure format offered a way in.

Emma Allinson, one of the runners from Essex, captured the spirit of the evening. “I only started running a few months ago so events like Track Night are really great for someone like me,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to be on the track alongside like-minded runners, and everyone was really welcoming and friendly. I managed my second best 5K time, so I can’t wait to do this again. Best of all, I met runners from my local area so now I have new people to run with.”

That sense of community, people finding each other through a shared starting line,  is exactly what the initiative was designed to create. The Club’s Track Nights offer members of the local community a safe space to run, meet new people, and work toward their own fitness goals in a supportive environment.

More Than a Decade of Local Investment

The event is part of a broader pattern of community initiatives between West Ham United and Lyca Mobile that stretches back over 11 years. Since becoming an Official Club Partner in the 2012/13 season, Lyca Mobile has been involved in a range of activations that go well beyond traditional pitchside sponsorship.

The Lyca Mobile Cup, a grassroots youth football tournament, has grown into one of the partnership’s flagship community events, bringing together young players and coaches from diverse backgrounds across East London. The ‘Hotspots’ series has seen the two organisations co-host culinary events in the Capital. And community-based coaching workshops, football sessions, and match ticket access through Lyca Mobile’s Rewards programme have given fans tangible reasons to engage with both brands beyond the stadium.

Track Night is the latest extension of that approach, taking the partnership out of football entirely and into running, a sport with virtually no barrier to entry.

Why Running, Why Now

Running has exploded in popularity across London and the UK in recent years, and West Ham United have taken notice. Following two successful Track Night events in 2025, the club committed to making these sessions a regular fixture in its community calendar. The open-access format is deliberately designed to reach people who might not otherwise engage with a Premier League football club,  offering something genuinely useful rather than purely promotional.

Souček, speaking after the event, said it was a pleasure to support the runners. “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,” he said. “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.”

Lyca Mobile’s Community Playbook

For Lyca Mobile, the Track Night sponsorship fits a wider strategy of embedding itself in the communities it serves. The company, which operates across 18 countries and serves over 16 million customers globally, has built its brand around affordable connectivity for diverse, internationally connected communities — exactly the demographic that fills East London’s streets and, on evenings like this, its running tracks.

Prem Sivasamy, Deputy Chairman at Lyca Mobile, said the company was proud to support West Ham’s community initiatives. “Events like the West Ham United Track Night are a great example of how sport can bring people together and promote healthier lifestyles,” he said. “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.”

What Comes Next

West Ham United Executive Director Nathan Thompson confirmed the club’s commitment to expanding these community-focused events. “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,” he said. “This long-standing partnership is built on shared values and a genuine desire to make a positive difference beyond the pitch.”

With running’s popularity showing no sign of slowing down, and a partnership that continues to find new ways to reach people, the Hammers Track Night looks set to become a permanent fixture in East London’s community calendar. For the 120-plus runners who turned up on a Thursday evening in Stratford, the message was simple enough — and worth repeating: running brings people together.