About Ely Runners

Introduction

Ely Runners meet for training every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7pm on the upstairs bar room of the Paradise Centre, Ely where there is the club notice board and bar.

Evening training runs are varied and enjoyable. Tuesday training consists of hill training (even in the Fens!), speed work, repetitions and intervals. Thursday training is usually a longer steady run (with shorter options for beginners) around the City or into the surrounding countryside, depending on daylight. For members not racing on Sundays, training runs of various distances are often arranged for 9am from the Paradise Centre.

Runners of any ability or standard are always welcome to join the club. For membership enquiries email:- membership@elyrunners.co.uk or just turn up at the Paradise Centre at 7 pm on a training evening. Joining information can be found on the How to join page.

Location

The arrow marks the location of the Paradise Sports Centre in Ely

Ely is located about 15 miles north of Cambridge on the A10

In October 2008, the following Club of the Month profile appeared on the Association of Running Club's website www.runningclubs.org.uk

Ely Runners - Club Profile

Ely Runners was formed in 1985 and now has over 300 members. Since then, rail and road links have improved and the population of the small city of Ely, with its close proximity to Cambridge, has grown from about 12,000 to a younger population of about 18,000. The club has Community Amateur Sports Club status.

Ely Runners train from the Paradise Sports Centre in Ely on Tuesday (intervals and hills) and Thursday (steady run) evenings, and Sunday mornings (long mixed terrain run). The evening sessions have varied daylight and dark programmes with options according to ability.  They are enthusiastically attended with 30-50 members present.

The club has a wide range of membership from Juniors to over 70 years of age. About a third are ladies. The club current activities are cross-country, trail running, road running, fell running, track racing, and race walking. Whilst the club caters for runners of all abilities, it has achieved many successes in national, regional, open, championship, relay and league events. There are plans for an athletics stadium in Ely and the club hopes to expand its success into track and field activities.

True to their Fen Tigers tradition of not being overwhelmed by outside influences, including excessive bureaucracy, Ely Runners were the first club to be affiliated to ARC. Also, the 2007 Grunty Fen Half Marathon was the first ARC permit event and included the 1st ARC championships. Former club secretary John Turner is on the steering committee and also a director of ARC.

The club is also affiliated to ARC ABAC, UKA, EA, FRA, TRA, CAA, ECCA, EAA, GCAN & several members belong to Eastern Veterans AC.

Ely Runners organise the popular open event:

Additionally, the club holds four private events for members:

  • Club Cross-Country Championships (usually in January, sometimes February)
  • Turing Trail Relay (3rd Sunday in March)
  • Club 10k Handicap (a Thursday in June)
  • Club One Mile Handicap (a Thursday in July)