Welcoming, always
Whatever you've run, however slowly, whatever you're wearing — you'll be made to feel like a member from the first Wednesday. New people are the lifeblood of the club.
About the club
45 years of
45 years of
chasing PBs.
Northampton Road Runners began with a handful of friends and a Wednesday evening loop around the town centre. 45 years later we're still running — only now there's a few hundred more of us.
A year in the life
What a typical year looks like at Northampton Road Runners.
Races, socials, member-led runs, cross country, championships, trips, and PBs — a short review of a year of NRR, put together by members.
Our story
Built by
Built by
runners, for
runners.
NRR was formed in 1981 by a small group of local runners who wanted somewhere to train, race and — crucially — socialise afterwards.
From those original few we've grown into one of the largest mixed-ability clubs in the East Midlands. Our members range in age from 18 to over 80, in pace from sub-elite to comfortably-mid-pack, and in motivation from "first 5k" to "fourteenth marathon".
What hasn't changed is the ethos. We've never been the club that puts pressure on anyone to be anything other than who they are. We meet, we run, we improve, we celebrate each other.
Officially affiliated. Northampton Road Runners is a registered England Athletics club — affiliation number 2659143. Membership includes England Athletics registration, which cuts race entry fees and provides third-party liability insurance for training and racing under the club's banner. Plus, your NRR club membership connects you to extra savings with exclusive local discounts on running kit, sports nutrition, and physio services.
EST. 1981
What we believe
Three things we
Three things we
care about.
We have one rule, three values and an absurd number of running shoes between us.
Quietly ambitious
We don't shout, but we do show up. There's a reason we hold a stack of championship trophies — we just go and do the work, week after week, together.
Genuine community
We are a club, not a service. Our calendar is built by members, our beginners group is run by members, our Strava is patrolled by members. You belong here.
A short history
45
45
years on.
The greatest hits, more or less in order. There are plenty of stories not on this list — buy a member a coffee and you'll get them.
Become part of the next chapter1981
Club's first home was the United Trades RRC, consisting of Wednesday and Friday
runs, plus long slow Sunday runs. Wednesday was the main club night. Kit was claret with a gold sash,
reflecting the town colours.
Early 2000s
The club moved to Moulton Sports Centre with approximately 80 members. During
this period, NRR organised the popular summer road race — the Moulton 10k.
2013
When the Moulton venue became unavailable, this prompted a move to the Obelisk
Centre in Kingsthorpe. The club continued to grow in size. From this venue we organised two free runs —
the Obelisk Obble and the Asterix Amble — with mostly trail routes.
2019
We organised the Hollowell Hill 5, a challenging hilly road race. Sadly
cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
2020/21
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, NRR thrived. We kept members engaged
with virtual events and challenges. By the end of restrictions, our numbers had grown to around 130
members. However, the Obelisk Centre was no longer available to provide facilities, which prompted our
next move.
2021
40th anniversary.
2022
We relocated to our home today: the University of Northampton's Waterside
Campus. The new venue allowed us to expand our reach to the wider Northampton community, whilst
offering access to the university facilities including gym and Waterside bar. Membership doubled.
2022
We were proud to be named England Athletics Running Club of the Year for the
East of England.
2026
45th anniversary. Commemorated with special anniversary t-shirts — see if you
can spot them out on your next run!
Find us
Pop down and say
Pop down and say
hello.
We're based at the University of Northampton, a short drive from the town centre and just off the A43. New runners are welcome. Please book beforehand. Book your first Wednesday →
Campus map coming soon — drop the image into
assets/uploads/about/campus-map.jpg to display it here.
1
Drive in (red route)
Enter Waterside Campus from the main road and follow the red route down to East Car Park. Pay-and-display via the RingGo app (currently £1).
2
Walk to the meet (blue route)
Prospective members receive an email asking them to go to Market Cafe/Senate building. From East Car Park, follow the blue path through campus to our meeting point near the Research & Enterprise Hub. About a 5-minute walk.
/// search.cried.text what3words — opens the exact meeting point on your phone.
Where
Waterside Campus, University of Northampton, University Drive, Northampton NN1 5PH.
Close to the town centre and the A43, off the A428 Bedford Road.
When
Wednesday club run · 18:45 — the main weekly meet. Groups by distances.
Member-led runs go out most other days too. See Training for the full schedule.
Parking
East Car Park is the closest to our meeting point — pay-and-display, about £1 an evening via the RingGo app.
Car Park 1 (sports centre) and West Car Park also work — just a slightly longer walk.
Get in touch
Questions before turning up? Email the membership team — happy to answer anything before your first Wednesday.
Want in?
The club is
The club is
better with you in it.
Try a couple of Wednesdays, connect with new friends and find your preferred pace. Then decide.