Say Hello to Barking Road Runners

Established in 1984, Barking Road Runners is your friendly, local running club, based in Barking, East London. We have around 120 members from all backgrounds, male and female, aged 17 to 77. If you have an interest in running, then we’re the club for you! Whether you’re a complete beginner, someone looking to improve your fitness, or a seasoned runner, you’re welcome to come along and meet us, and take part in our training sessions. Keep reading to find out more or contact us at: info@barkingroadrunners.org.uk

Tuesday evenings – track

Track sessions are a great way to find out more about our Club. We do short, structured training sessions suitable for all abilities. We meet at the Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. Directions below. Sessions start at 7.00pm and last about an hour. Your first track session is free. Further sessions cost £3 each (or £2 each if you become a club member). Afterwards there is free tea, coffee, biscuits in the clubhouse. A couple of times a year the track is closed when the Club is taking part in a race. Please check with us for further details.

Thursday evenings – road runs

On most Thursdays we meet for a group run on local roads. You can find us at the Castle Green Sports Centre (based at the Jo Richardson Community School), Gale Street, Dagenham. Directions below. Runs start at 7.00pm and usually last for about an hour. There are vending machines available for hot and cold drinks, and snacks. During the summer months you’ll sometimes find us instead at Barking Park. Please check our Facebook page or contact one of our committee members for details.

Saturday mornings – parkrun

On Saturday we can usually be found – as runners or volunteers – at one of the parkruns in the local area. Parkrun is a free, timed, 5k (3.1 miles) run. To participate, you just need to register at parkrun.org.uk, print out your athlete barcode and take it along to parkrun with you. Your barcode is scanned at the end of your run and you will receive your time by email or text. Full results appear on the website of the relevant parkrun. More information about local parkruns can be found here.

Sunday mornings – trail runs or racing

On Sundays (if we’re not racing) we can be found at Hainault Forest Country Park for a social/training run. We meet at 9.30am in the car park outside the Global Café. Directions below. Make sure you bring some cash for a cuppa afterwards! Note: the run is free but there is a charge for parking, payable via the Ringo App.

Races

Many of our members take part in races. If you join our club you won’t be under any pressure to race, but we’d certainly be happy to give you advice and support if you do!
During the summer months, we take part in the ELVIS league, as well as a series of road races of varying distance for our Grand Prix (club championships). We also organise a series of handicap races for our members. Over the winter we take part in the South Essex Cross-Country League and the Chingford League. As well as the above, you’ll often find our members taking part at races across London and Essex.