Running clubs in Putney, London

Hello. I live in Putney and am thinking about joining a running club so wanted to know if anyone knew any good ones in the area. I'm dead slow but am looking to speed up so it would be great if they were beginners friendly. I've come across one so far, Run Club Putney, but it's £24.99 a month which is too much for me. I've never been to a proper running club before so I'm not sure what to look out for. Thanks!

Comments

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    I don't live in Putney, but...

    I started a thread like this yesterday, but I'm in Worthing and have a choice of 3 that I know of and found on the internet.

    £25 a month sounds like a lot - I'm looking at £30 - £40 per year. But it depends what they're offering. Looking at the web site it looks like a 'for-profit' organisation - this is not a bad thing in itself as long as you're getting value for money.

    Each club that I've contacted has invited me along for a trial run (pardon the pun) with no obligation and I think any club worth it's salt would offer that, including Run Putney. They seem to be either run for the love of it or partly a municipal thing.

    Ideally I guess you'd like to step out of your front door and be 'there' but if you cast your net a little further I know that there are some really good running clubs in SW -  is Banstead too difficult for you? I know there's a really good park running club there and you could contact 'Run For Life' in Banstead for more details. Wimbledon must have some good ones too.

    You could also try local athletics clubs. They are typically not expensive, have decent facilities, can offer a range of training and have experts in-house though you may have to pay extra. furthermore, you'll get affiliation included in the price which reduces race entry fees.

    Finally, you may find that you only use your running club for occasional motivation, training and advice. I like to run solo but I'm thinking of joining a club that I can run with maybe once a week or once a fortnight as time allows. So I don't want to spend too much on it. Also, it doesn't matter in that case that its' a bit further away as it will provide some variety to my training location.

    I suspect I've created more questions than answers. Sorry!

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    Before I get slammed - I'm not slagging off Run Club! I'm sure it's brilliant!

  • Grendel3Grendel3 ✭✭✭

    Looking at their website it almost looks like a personal trainer has come up with an idea to make money because £24.99 a month for a running club that doesn't offer any facilities other than being in a London park!!!!  - their website says

    "Frustrated by the lack of enjoyable and inviting running groups for the non-elite runner"

    To me that is absolute rubbish -  Clubs like Serpantine etc welcome beginners with open arms - and any good club worth its salt will have club coaches who do not charge £24 per month - also what do they offer, are the affiliated to UKA etc?  (sorry I am slagging them off so I expect to get slammed)

     

     

     

  • Curly45Curly45 ✭✭✭

    Ranelagh Harriers (my club) is based at Richmond Park they have a beginners section which is a weekly course culminating in a 5k race!

    Wimbledon Windmilers isnt far away, neither are West 4 Harriers or Ealing Eagles

    Get yourself along to a local parkrun (free weekly 5ks across London and the UK) and check out the club vests there for other ideas.

  • Curly45Curly45 ✭✭✭

    And dont pay £24 a month! Ranelagh is quite expensive at £40 a year (but that works out at 80p a session if you go once a week).

  • Thanks Snap and Grendel. It really does seem expensive! I don't even know where Bansted is so I'm guessing too far for me to consider going after work. Last year I was going to Run Dem Crew which was really enjoyable but it was just too far (East London) so I had to stop as it wouldn't get home until after 11pm which is too late for me on a week night! As you've also pointed out I'll probably only manage to go once a week/fortnight at the most so ideally don't want to pay too much, £30 a year seems reasonable and with cheaper race entry that would be a great deal.

    Thanks for the recommendations G - I like the sound of BH and it's just down the towpath so nice and easy to get too

  • Thanks for the adivce Curly, georginagem has been trying to get me to go along to Richmond park run with her but with my Friday and Sunday runs I like having Saturday as a rest day. Maybe in the future though. Wimbledon is easy to get to, just hop on the 93 bus so I'll check those out but Ealing is a little too far for me. I come home via Richmond so might check them out too thanks image

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    No worries - have fun, and remember what they always say...

  • You could try Clapham Chasers who are based around Battersea Park, and they charge £20 per year. www.claphamchasers.co.uk 

    Monday nights are their social run and perfectly suitable for beginners as long as you can manage the distance. Tuesdays are track nights (which cost extra as you have to pay for access to the track at Battersea Park, £3.60ish a go) and Thursdays are Battersea Park intervals.

  • Hi,

    Just wondered if you joined a club?

    I'm new-ish to Putney and am keen to get back into running. Need to start back at a low level, but hope to pick it up fairly quickly.

    Would be good to hear back,

    Chloe

  • Hi Miss Gilchrist. I'm also from the area. I'm not in a club but I have been doing Home Run. Depending where you work there's a 5 mile route from Victoria to Putney on a Thursday, and they take your bags on a special bike for you!

  • Thanks. I may well give that a go! Although Thursdays are never a great one for me... can't do the next two. Hmmm.

    If anyone has other Putney beginner running clubs, would be cool to hear.

  • Hi Miss Gilchrist. Nope not joined a running club yet, I put the idea on hold for a little bit as I've been super busy. Maybe we can start our own beginners club!!! Where about are you based? I am near Putney Leisure Centre. Have you been to park run in Richmond park on a Saturday morning? I know georginagem loves it there

  • I would love to start a beginners group. I’m just off Lower Richmond Road, so same area!

  • Well there are some great places to go running in Putney, have you been down to the tow path yet? Do you have any particular running goals? Getting fater is my pain goal as I'm slow as a snail right now image

  • Serpentine in central London is excellent - very big club, with lots of different levels (including a beginner's course and beginner club runs), training options and social events.  (confession of interests: I am a Serpie myself)

    however, if you are in Putney, might be sensible to make the most of Richmond Park and join the Ranleagh lot.

    an annual fee of 35 to 40 quid is probably about right. (you will get a lot back from this in terms of informal coaching, being able to take part in free club races etc).

  • Serpentine is too far for me to travel after work (my commute is long enough as it is). Last time I joined a running club I stopped going because the travel there and back took too long. For ease I'm looking for something extremely local. Richmond Park would work (depending on times) as it is sort of on my way home.

  • Barnes Runners has a very relaxed approach to training. They are a wonderfully ramshackle, disparate and eclectic bunch, many of whom simply run to try and stave off the midlife crisis for as long as they possibly can. They welcome beginners, recreational runners and elite runners (although an elite runner has yet to join them). For more information, visit their website: barnesrunners.org

  • @hansyhobs I was training quite hard last year, and have let it slip. So my main aims are to build up endurance and get faster! There's a route on the Thames Path, around 4.5 miles that we could try..

  • Hi, I am also new to the area and I am looking at joining a club but no look so far! Wanting to do around 4-6 miles per run at the moment but have ran further distances in the past. If anyone has found anything suitable or would like to run around the same distance would be happy to also run in a small group/couple of people if no clubs can be found!
  • @Amy - I'd definitely be up for starting a Saturday morning run, for e.g. Let me know if you want to set something up!

  • There's also www.parkrun.org.uk at 9am on Saturdays (5k). I do Richmond regularly, and there's one in Wimbledon too.
  • Hi Hansyhobs and Miss Gilchrist

    Have you found a running group in Putney yet?

    I do the river loop run on the weekends but am looking to join up with a group. I'm not fast and am looking to improve too. Let me know if you'd like to set something up or if you have any other recommendationsimage

    Aimee

  • @Aimee - Amy Ashdown and I have been running a few times a week (4 to 7 miles) for a few months now. DM me if you fancy joining us.

  • Hi,



    I'm looking to join a group of runners for week nights and possibly weekend sessions. I live on upper Richmond road and would like to run locally.



    Please let me know if you would be wiling to have an addition to your group?



    Matt
  • Just to confirm Run Club Putney's still going strong so feel free to pop down and join us for a free trial. Obviously there is a monthly fee though I think we're one of the few clubs with professional coaches and our aim is to provide quality coached sessions for all levels at a reasonable price. Most of our sessions are circuit or technique based which seems to work well with such a wide range of abilities though we do also train groups up for specific events throughout the year.

    Admittedly if you're a keen runner who's already out 2/3 times a week that's one thing but our general model is to attract those maybe new to the sport or nervous about joining a large group who simply head out for a run. At the end of the day if you make a couple of sessions a week you're looking at £2.50/session. We try to find a middle ground between the high end coaching of somewhere like the Running School who charge £50 session and your classic running club whereby you'd just meet up and head off for a run (not great if you can't run for more than 5 minutes).

    Anyway, the model seems to be doing well and we're currently offering 12 sessions a week around the capital to over 150 members. We've just come back from a trip to Paris where we got 12 newbies around the marathon with the next goal a 10k in July so hopefully something to offer everyone.

     

     

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