Running clubs in Essex

Hi there,

Is anyone on here a member of a running club in Essex?

I would love to join one so I thought I'd see if there were any recommendations!

I live in South Essex so anywhere around the Basildon/Southend area would be great but would be happy to travel a little further afield if need be...

Thanks in advance!

There are loads...

Benfleet RC
Thurrock Harriers
Pitsea RC
Billericay Striders
Phoenix Striders (Basildon)
Kingswood Running Club (Basildon)
Basildon AC
Castle Point Joggers
Southend on Sea AC.

Depends on what you want from a club.  Some are larger, and very competitive with coaching facilities, others are much smaller and enter races only for the hell of it.

Thanks Wilkie - I have found a few of those from googling but you can't always tell exactly what they have on offer, whether they are suitable and what the members are like - nothing like a bit of insider knowledge! I think certainly to begin with I am looking for the social side of the club experience - whether that later turns into a more competitive thing, we shall see.

Which club are you a member, if you don't mind my asking? Is it the Phoenix Striders by any chance?

I have to say, you look awfully familiar - myself and a group of friends did a charity run to raise money for GOSH a couple of years back after one of their children became very ill (08/09 off the top of my head).

We did a 5k in Langdon Hills... I have a funny feeling you might have been the Club Secretary for the running club organising the event (hence the question above)...

I'm club secretary for Kingswood Running Club, and we do run around Langdon Hills.  I've done 5ks up there, but wasn't organising.

I don't know much about the other clubs, to be honest.  I think Bas AC are more into track than road, Billericay Striders have lots of members, and some very good runners, but I don't know how social they are.  Pitsea RC organise races, and they have track sessions at Gloucester Park in the week.

I see lots of Phoenix (I think) runners out in large groups - they seem to set off wearing too much, most of them have jackets tied round their waists!

The websites of the clubs should give you some clues about them and their activities.  Try contacting them - they should be happy for you to go along for a couple of runs before committing to joining.

Kingswood is a very small club, very friendly, but not very competitive.  When we enter races it's for fun, although one member has won her age group in a couple of races 

Thanks for all the advice

The course in Langdon Hilles we did involved, and I quote, "an uphill section, a flat bit and a downhill section"... they obviously forgot to mention the mountain. And it was two laps so we had to scale it twice - I wasn't the most popular guy with my friends, as it was me that chose the event... They kept moaning about sherpas and mountain goats.

I'd love to come along to meet you all and see what you do - what days do you train?

Mountain? If you did the usual 5k route then you didn't even do the steep bit 

We run Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Sunday mornings.  In the winter the evenings have to be on the road, but Sundays, and summer evenings, we try to get off road as much as possible.

If you want more details, PM me.