Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our membership page for all the details.

Our Monday evening runs start and end from Didsbury Sports Ground on Ford Lane, Didsbury. Our Wednesday Interval sessions are usually at Trafford Athletics Ground, Longford Park, Stretford. Any amendments to this will be communicated to our members by email and other communications channels. Other runs may start and end at other locations.  

Didsbury Sports Ground has paid car parking. As a member of Didsbury Runners, while attending club sessions you are entitled to free parking, but to obtain this you must register your car details using the console in the clubhouse/bar. A penalty will be charged of up to £100 if you fail to do this (or otherwise fail to pay for parking), so please remember.

Note that when attending non-club events like parkrun, you may need to pay for parking or purchase something in the bar (which will enable you to use the bar console).

You will find a railing to lock a bike to, though we are looking to improve provision.

Yes, you can leave items of clothing etc in the bar during a run, however this is at your own risk, so please don't leave valuables there unattended!

All sessions start at 6.45pm with a 6.30pm meet.  

We run as usual on most bank holidays. The exception is if the 25th December/ Christmas Day or 1st January / New Year's Day fall on Mondays, where we generally would not have an official run. In addition, we may not have Wednesday runs during the period between 25th December and 1st January, and information about that would be provided to membership. 

We meet as normal in all weather. Some conditions may require an altered session - for example, in high winds we may run away from trees. If there's a significant change, we would generally communicate about this in advance to members, couch to 5k participants (if relevant) and to those registered for a trial.

Membership currently costs £14 for a year and if you'd like to join England Athletics it's an additional £19, but this is optional. 

Our Monday night run aims to cater for all abilities with plenty of groups at a range of paces from 12 minute miles to 7 minute miles.  Don't worry, we will help you to find the right group and we never leave anyone behind!  Our Couch to 5K course, which we run several times a year is a great introduction to running if you don't know your pace. 

On Monday's we have 5-6k and 10k options.  If you're not ready to run that distance yet then why not join one of our regular Couch to 5k courses and we'll help you to get there! 

We aim to have a tail runner with each group so you will never be last, and many of our members are experienced runners, who will stay with you and keep you company.  Don't worry, we don't leave anyone behind!

Well firstly you have started just by asking, which is fantastic.

We suggest doing a Couch to 5k course. Please consider our free 9 week couch to 5k course that occurs three/four times a year. 

Keep an eye on our Couch to 5k page as we will update there when we have a new Couch to 5k course start date.  

If not convenient the NHS couch to 5k course is a wonderful resource and a great way to start.

In the meantime, consider signing up for a trial and potentially joining the club (see above). The club has many friendly members who have started from no running experience and gone on to do great things so you will be in good company. 

Visit our club runs page for all the info on our runs!

We also offer events for the general public such as our Couch to 5K beginner sessions and #runandtalk events. All non-member running sessions are advertised on the Didsbury Runners Community Facebook page.  Due to demand you will need to register for Couch to 5K, please email didsburyrunnersclub@gmail.com to register your interest. 

Members of the club join in races such as the Manchester 10k and half-marathon. As a club, we also participate in the Manchester Area Cross-Country League (MACCL) and the University Cross Country Relays.

We post all Didsbury Runners events and socials on our Didsbury Runners Facebook Group Page, as well as send out info via our weekly newsletter.

If you are a member, we recommend you sign up to events on our Didsbury Runners Facebook Group Page, as this is where we discuss transport and other logistics. Note all Didsbury Runners organised events are for members only unless stated otherwise.

Anyone aged 16-18 can join the Didsbury Runners provided that they are accompanied by a nominated adult who is a member. Although some of our Run Leaders are LIRF qualified and DBS checked, we cannot currently accept minors on their own.  

Yes, Didsbury Runners is an England Athletics affiliated club, and members may choose to become affiliated with England Athletics as a first-claim or second-claim athlete, subject to a fee that is charged by England Athletics.  

We ask that our runners do not wear headphones whilst on our runs. It is important that everyone can hear instructions given by our run leaders so that the groups are safe and do not obstruct other path users. Also, we are a social group, and part of the fun is to talk with your fellow runners!  

The club organises lots of social events that don't include running, from meals to climbing, there's something for everyone.  Our members also organise non-official events between themselves.  We are all about community and having fun! 

Only members have access. On joining the club you will be given information on this. As a member of the public, please consider the Didsbury Runners Community Facebook page as an alternative.  

We put in bulk orders periodically and our members will be notified by Facebook and email of when they can place an order.