Manchester Run Clubs: Where to Run and Meet People
Also in: BerlinHamburgCologneZurichParisMadridBarcelonaNew YorkLos AngelesBristolTorontoSydneySão Paulo (Portuguese)
Eight run clubs in Manchester, before work, after work and at weekends, from Deansgate, Castlefield and Ancoats to Chorlton. Where they meet, who they suit, how to join.
Run clubs are an easy way to meet people in Manchester: a set time, a run side by side, sometimes food or a chat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Run Club | Changes with each series, most recently Union West, 22 Water Street | Weekly runs in series, most recently on Tue | 5 km, all levels | Not stated |
| BOX 5K Run Club | BOX Deansgate, city centre | Wed 6:30 pm | 5 km, all abilities | Not stated |
| GoodGym Manchester | Varies by session | Mon evening, time varies by session | New runners welcome, a walking option on many runs | Free (2026) |
| Root & Run Club | The Pollen Club, Treehouse Manchester, city centre | Wed, meet 5:45 pm, start 6 pm | Up to 5 km, food to order afterwards | Free (2026) |
| Chorlton Runners | The Bowling Green, Chorlton | Tue 6:45 or 7 pm by pace, Sun 9 am | Pace groups on Tue, a run-walk group on Sun, 18 and over | Not stated |
| Manchester Road Runners | Beside The Wharf pub, Castlefield | Wed, meet 6:30 pm, start 6:45 pm | Groups for 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 km, all abilities | Free (2026) |
| Up & Running Social Run Group | Up & Running, 133 Deansgate | Mon 6 pm | 5 km together, suits beginners | Free, according to the website (undated) |
| Ancoats Run Club | Royal Mills, Ancoats | Mon, Wed, Fri 7:15 am; Tue and Thu 6:30 pm | 5 to 10 km; the social 5 km at 6-minute kilometres, with a couple of breaks | Free, 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
Manchester Run Club (city centre)
A social run club that holds series of weekly 5 km runs, with run leaders for every pace and a social afterwards. Its most recent series was on Tuesdays at Union West, 22 Water Street; check its page for the next series and its meeting point. You sign up on Strava. According to its website, many people come on their own, and the runs are open to all abilities. Manchester Run Club on LinkedIn
BOX 5K Run Club (Deansgate)
BOX Deansgate in the city centre holds a 5 km run every Wednesday at 6:30 pm, and all abilities are welcome. You join through its Strava community; the page gives no price. BOX Deansgate, run club
GoodGym Manchester (city centre)
GoodGym combines a group run with practical tasks for local projects. The weekly group run is on Monday evenings, but meeting points and start times vary by session, so check the session you choose before you go. New runners and all levels are welcome, and many group runs have a walking option. Taking part is free (2026). You choose a session on the GoodGym website, whose list of group runs shows the coming dates. GoodGym Manchester, group runs
Root & Run Club (city centre)
The Treehouse Manchester hotel holds the Root & Run Club on Wednesdays: you meet at The Pollen Club from 5:45 pm, and the run starts at 6 pm, on changing routes of up to 5 km. Afterwards, you can stay to chat and order food from The Hatch. The run is free (2026); you sign up through the Eventbrite page that the event page links to. Treehouse Manchester, events
Chorlton Runners (Chorlton)
A club whose social runs start at The Bowling Green in Chorlton. On Tuesdays the groups meet at 6:45 pm or 7 pm, depending on pace, and run about 6.5 to 11 km (4 to 7 miles), as its runs page says. On Sundays at 9 am there is another club run, with a run-walk group too. Sunday runs are open to non-members, and you can try the Tuesday club run up to three times before joining; you don't need to book. According to its joining page, the minimum age is 18. Chorlton Runners
Manchester Road Runners (The Wharf)
A social running club whose Wednesday run meets at 6:30 pm on the grass beside The Wharf pub in Castlefield, for a 6:45 pm start, as its page on Strava says. It is free and open to all abilities, with groups for 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 km and interval sessions, and you can simply come to the open run. The weekly plan is also on its Linktree. Manchester Road Runners
Up & Running Social Run Group (Deansgate)
The Up & Running shop at 133 Deansgate holds a free 5 km run every Monday at 6 pm, according to its website (undated). Everyone runs together, and the shop says the run suits beginners. To sign up, register with the staff in the shop; according to the Social Run Group page, you then get an SRG card, which you bring each week and scan before the run. Up & Running Manchester
Ancoats Run Club (Ancoats)
The club meets at Royal Mills in Ancoats, at the entrance by the bridge. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays a group runs 5 to 6 km at 7:15 am; on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 pm there are social or faster groups over 5, 7 or 10 km, depending on availability. The FAQ describes the social 5 km group as running 6-minute kilometres, with a couple of breaks, and says no runner is left behind. Taking part is free, according to the website (undated); a one-off membership fee is optional. Ancoats Run Club, FAQ
How to find your club
- Pace: All levels at Manchester Run Club, BOX 5K Run Club, GoodGym and Manchester Road Runners; Up & Running says its Monday run suits beginners. Manchester Road Runners has groups from 3 to 10 km, Chorlton Runners has pace groups on Tuesdays, and Ancoats Run Club's social 5 km runs 6-minute kilometres with a couple of breaks, its FAQ says.
- Walking: GoodGym has a walking option on many group runs, and Chorlton Runners has a run-walk group on Sundays.
- Time: Early risers have Ancoats Run Club on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:15 am. After work, GoodGym and Up & Running on Mondays, Chorlton Runners and Ancoats Run Club on Tuesdays, BOX, Root & Run and Manchester Road Runners on Wednesdays, Ancoats Run Club on Thursdays. At weekends, Chorlton Runners on Sunday mornings.
- Coming alone: At Manchester Run Club many people come on their own, according to its website. Chorlton Runners' Sunday runs are open to non-members, and you can try its Tuesday run up to three times before you join.
- Afterwards: A social after Manchester Run Club's runs, food to order from The Hatch after Root & Run Club; GoodGym's runs lead to a task for a local project.
- Signing up: Strava for Manchester Run Club and BOX, the GoodGym website, Eventbrite for Root & Run Club, the shop staff and an SRG card at Up & Running; at Chorlton Runners and Manchester Road Runners you can simply come along.
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 club posts on Strava, 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.