Bristol Run Clubs: Where to Run and Meet People

Run clubs are an easy way to meet people in Bristol: a set time, a run side by side, sometimes a coffee afterwards. We only list groups that announce their runs on their own page or channel.

The clubs at a glance

Club	Meeting point	Roughly when	For whom	Cost
GoodGym Bristol	Workout Harbourside, Welsh Back	Tue 6:15 pm, according to the group runs page; check the session	Run or walk, any fitness level, 18+	Free, according to the website (undated)
Southville Running Club	Southbank Club, Dean Lane, Southville	Tue and Thu, meet 6 pm, start 6:15 pm	Runners of different levels, a Walk to Run group on Tuesdays, 18+	50p a run, according to the website (undated)
Great Western Runners	Redland Green Club, Redland	Wed 7 pm	All abilities, routes of about 6.5 to 16 km	Come and try with no financial commitment, according to the website (undated)
South Bristol Striders	Usually the short-stay car park at Paintworks, Brislington	Sun 9:15 am	An easy pace, usually about 16 km	Not stated
Moti Run Club	Moti store, Whiteladies Road, Clifton	Wed 6:15 pm	Not stated	Free, according to the website (undated)
Alpha Run Club	Alpha Bottle Shop & Tap, Bedminster	Thu, meet from 6 pm, start 6:30 pm	A relaxed 5 km, all abilities	Free, according to the website (undated)
Sole Sisters	Changing meeting points in North Bristol	Mon from 6 pm, groups set off one after another	Membership for women aged 18 and over; groups of about 5 to 9.5 km and a walking group	First guest run free, second £2, according to the website (undated)
North Bristol Running Group	GP surgery on Brook Way, North Bristol	Tue, Wed and Thu, 6:30 pm	Beginners and experienced runners; 5 km, run-walk intervals, 10 km	Free membership, according to the website (undated)

"Not stated" means we found no information on cost, not that the run costs money.

The run clubs one by one

GoodGym Bristol (Harbourside)

A community group run with the option to walk, on Tuesday evenings from Workout Harbourside on Welsh Back. The group runs page gives 6:15 pm; the time and the distance can differ from session to session, so check the session you want to join. GoodGym welcomes anyone regardless of fitness level, many group runs have a walking option, and its session listings give an age limit of 18+. You sign up through GoodGym, and the group run is free, according to the website (undated). GoodGym Bristol, group runs

Southville Running Club (Southville)

A local club that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the Southbank Club on Dean Lane: you meet at 6 pm and set off at 6:15 pm. The club has runners of different levels, welcomes new runners and sets a minimum age of 18; you don't need to arrange anything in advance. Distances vary, and the club's FAQ mentions a Walk to Run group on Tuesdays. A run costs 50p, according to the website (undated). Southville Running Club

Great Western Runners (Redland)

The club meets on Wednesdays at 7 pm at the Redland Green Club and offers routes of 4, 6, 8 or 10 miles (about 6.5, 9.5, 13 or 16 km). It invites runners of all abilities and says you can come along and try a run without any financial commitment, according to the website (undated). Great Western Runners

South Bristol Striders (Brislington)

A social long run on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am, usually from the short-stay car park at Paintworks in Brislington, about 16 km (10 miles). The group describes the pace as easy and adapted to the runners. It asks you to check the arrangements for the week in its community before you come. The page gives no price. South Bristol Striders

Moti Run Club (Clifton)

The running shoe shop Moti holds a weekly run from its Bristol store on Whiteladies Road in Clifton on Wednesdays at 6:15 pm; the run is free, according to the website (undated). The store's page gives no distance, sign-up, age limit or level, and it asks you to contact the store for the latest session details before your first visit. Moti Run Club, Bristol

Alpha Run Club (Bedminster)

Every Thursday at Alpha Bottle Shop & Tap in Bedminster: you meet and drop off your bag from 6 pm, and at 6:30 pm the group sets off on a relaxed 5 km loop, along the Harbourside or through Victoria Park depending on the season. All abilities are welcome, and you don't need to sign up. The run is free, according to the website (undated). Alpha Run Club

Sole Sisters (North Bristol)

A running club with walking groups; its page says membership is for women aged 18 and over. The runs are on Mondays from 6 pm, and the groups set off one after another; a recent listing gives 6 to 7:30 pm with a start at about 6:15 pm, groups over 3, 4, 5 and 6 miles (about 5, 6.5, 8 and 9.5 km) and a walking group. The meeting point changes, so check it before you go; the club calendar names places such as Mile Straight Club, Whiteshill Church and Little Stoke Park. The calendar lists the club runs for registered members and asks you to contact the club before you come as a guest. The first guest run is free and a second costs £2, according to the website (undated); after that the club expects you to become a member. Sole Sisters

North Bristol Running Group (North Bristol)

A local group with three evenings a week, each at 6:30 pm from the GP surgery on Brook Way: 5 km on Tuesdays, Jeffing on Wednesdays, a mix of running and walking in intervals, and 10 km on Thursdays. The group welcomes beginners and experienced runners and has different pace groups. Before your first run, you get in touch and arrange a welcome meeting. Membership is free, according to its history page (undated). North Bristol Running Group

How to find your club

• Pace: All abilities at Great Western Runners and Alpha Run Club; different levels at Southville; beginners and experienced runners in pace groups at North Bristol Running Group; any fitness level at GoodGym; an easy pace at South Bristol Striders.
• Distance: A relaxed 5 km at Alpha, 5 or 10 km at North Bristol Running Group, about 6.5 to 16 km at Great Western Runners, about 16 km on Sundays at South Bristol Striders.
• Walking: You can walk at GoodGym, Sole Sisters has a walking group, Southville has a Walk to Run group on Tuesdays, and North Bristol Running Group mixes running and walking on Wednesdays.
• Time: After work, Sole Sisters on Mondays; Southville, GoodGym and North Bristol Running Group on Tuesdays; Great Western Runners, Moti and North Bristol Running Group on Wednesdays; Southville, Alpha and North Bristol Running Group on Thursdays. On Sunday mornings, South Bristol Striders.
• Group: Sole Sisters' membership is for women aged 18 and over, the club's page says.
• Signing up: Through GoodGym for its group runs; no sign-up at Alpha; at Southville new runners don't need to arrange anything in advance; Great Western Runners invites you to come and try; Moti asks you to contact the store before your first visit; North Bristol Running Group asks you to get in touch first and arrange a welcome meeting; Sole Sisters asks guests to contact the club first, and you can run twice as a guest before you join.

After the run

Simple openers work: "Do you run this route often?", "How long have you been coming?", "Are you training for something?" If the group has a community channel, follow it there for updates. And if you got on well with someone, suggest running together next week.

For people who lead a run club

If you lead a run club like these, you know the moment after the coffee when everyone heads off without swapping numbers. before is a web app for organisers. Before the start you show the QR code on your phone; runners check in with it in their browser, without installing an app, and anyone who likes takes a selfie. The day after, the afterparty is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Anyone who shared a selfie sees everyone else who shared one there and can press the button for meeting again for up to five people. At 8 pm everyone finds out at the same time who wants to see each other again, and only then does a chat open. One-sided wishes stay invisible, and nobody receives a rejection. Nobody needs a profile. More on the page before for organisers.