WELCOME!
We are a small, friendly, community-conscious club that caters for anyone who loves to run. Come and join us!
We meet every Tuesday night throughout the year at the Hungerford Rugby club on the Triangle Field at 7.30pm for a range of training activity that aim to cater for all running abilities. These might include intervals, hill sessions, and longer runs in and around Hungerford.
Schedule
Hungerford Hares Running Club are very pleased to announce that a new Beginners Course starts on Tuesday 29 April 2025 at the Rugby Club, Hungerford at 7:30pm
We suggest you arrive from 7:15 – 7:20pm onwards, to meet any of the Run Leaders who will be taking you running (and walking) over the next eight weeks. They wear hi-viz bibs with ‘Run Leader’ on.
How to join
Send us a quick email hungerfordhares@outlook.com and we’ll add you to the list.
Note that every year the course is oversubscribed, so make sure you contact us promptly!
We do operate a waiting list, so if one or two people drop out after a week or so, you may be able to join the course then.
Beginners programme
Here is an introductory video to give you an idea of what it involves (advertising the 2019 programme):
Beginners’ guide
Since the club started in June 2007 we have always encouraged new runners to join the club. We have run several successful Beginners’
programmes which aim to have complete beginners running 5k in 8 weeks.
Many of the beginners who have completed the programme stay with our club and have gone on to compete in organised races ranging in distances from 5k to a full marathon! It does work and is an excellent way to feel fitter and healthier in just 8 weeks (and meet like-minded people!).
One of our beginners from 2021 ran a 10k race a few months after the programme:
“The course was perfect for me; apart from the training aspects, everyone was really friendly and helpful, and running as a mixed age group of beginners got me over my confidence barrier. The fact that the Hares run leaders have got someone of my vintage up to 10k distances within six months is a complete revelation for me. I feel I have been very lucky to discover a new activity within a great social group”
One of our beginners from 2023:
“I’ve spent my whole life hating running…what happened?!”
The Programme
Date | Week | Walk | Run | Total Repetitions | Leaders / other info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-29 | Week 1 | 1 minute | 1 minute | 10 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-05-06 | Week 2 | 1 minute | 2 minutes | 8 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-05-13 | Week 3 | 1 minute | 3 minutes | 7 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-05-20 | Week 4 | 2 minutes | 5 minutes | 4 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-05-27 | Week 5 | 2 minutes | 8 minutes | 3 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-06-03 | Week 6 | 2 minutes | 12 minutes | 2 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-06-10 | Week 7 | 1 minute | 15 minutes | 2 | Amy, Simon |
| 2025-06-17 | Week 8 | 1 minute | 30 minutes | 1 | Amy, Simon |
Each week you should try to repeat the Tuesday session by yourself (or with a friend!) at least twice. So that is three sessions of running a week.
FAQ
Q. How much is it?
A. We charge £17.50 for the course, but this also gives you full membership of the club until April next year
Q. I don’t think I’m fit enough or fast enough
A. That’s why you should do the programme! And you’ll be surprised how often we keep telling you to slow down. That’s the secret at the start.
Q. Surely I could just do this myself?
A. You could – but will you? It’s much more fun to run with a group of like-minded people, on a specific weekday evening, and you’re much more likely to complete the programme.
Q. What happens if I miss a session?
A. No problem. Just do it yourself at the next available opportunity and then turn up next week!
Q. If I miss one (or two) sessions will I still get a medal at the end of the programme?
A. Yes 😉
Q. Can I join part way through the programme?
A. Yes, absolutely.
Q. Do you take us through a short warm-up and cool down?
A. Yes, this is really important and for the first couple of weeks we’ll spend as long on these as we do running.
Q. How long does each session last?
A. About an hour, including warm-up and cool down.
Q. Will I be able to run 5k / 30 minutes just by attending the one supervised run each week?
A. Maybe!
Q. Will I be able to run 5k / 30 minutes just by attending the one supervised run each week, plus one run by myself?
A. Probably!
Q. Will I be able to run 5k / 30 minutes just by attending the one supervised run each week, plus two additional runs by myself?
A. Definitely!
Q. What happens at the end of the course when I’ve run 5k for the first time and/or run for thirty minutes’ continuously?
A. We hope you’ll continue running with the Hares’ other runners on a regular basis, but there’s no obligation to do so. On regular club nights we have an intermediate route (5k, and maybe 6-7k) to provide you with a transition to running even longer distances, but many club members are quite happy running this shorter route.
Q. Do I have to continue running with the Hares at the end of the course?
A. Not at all – but we hope you will.
Q. How do I join this year’s beginners’ course?
A. Send us a quick email hungerfordhares@outlook.com and we’ll add you to the list!
“…your name will also go on the list“
We recommended wearing some well-cushioned running shoes and you will be shown some basic stretches and given other useful information about staying fit and injury free!
For any further information please email hungerfordhares@outlook.com.
