Welcome to the Purbeck Runners Official website! Founded in November 2008, we are based on the beautiful Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, and many of our runs take in The World Heritage Coastline.
We are a very friendly club who enjoy socialising together and we are always happy to welcome new members & visitors to the area! You a very welcome to try out the Club before joining. Please see our How To Join page for joining instructions.
Membership is open to all, whether you live here, work here or just love visiting the Isle of Purbeck.
Running can mean many different things to many different people. Some people like to run to maintain a level of fitness, some to improve their fitness. Some are trying to achieve a goal – be it a certain distance or a particular time. For others, it’s a way to unwind, de-stress or have a bit of ‘me’ time. At Purbeck Runners, you’ll find the opportunity to do any or all of those things. We have members from all different walks of life, all coming together with a common interest. As a club, we recognise the importance to offer opportunity for both athletic development and fun! Our whole reason for being is to encourage and promote an enjoyment of running.
We welcome runners of all abilities from 5k distance to marathon runners. We also have a few triathlete members who hone their running skills with us. If you are interested in starting running for the first time, please contact us so we can discuss how we can help with that.
We meet for runs twice a week; Wednesday evening and Sunday morning.
Wednesday evening
On a Wednesday evening we have a range of different paced groups to suit all abilities. They offer a variety of runs of different length with some on-road and some off-road, plus one group for specialist training sessions (interval training, hill reps, etc.) The groups meet together in and around Swanage at 6:45pm for a 7:00pm start. Group Leaders post specific details of their runs so that you can see what is on offer. Afterwards members often meet up to socialise.
On the first Wednesday of every month the individual groups go ‘out and about’ and meet at different locations and times. Details of these group runs, times and locations are posted in advance in the members area.
You are free to dip in and out of the groups as necessary, for example if you are recovering from a race or perhaps injury you may need to drop down from your usual group for an easier run.
If it is your first time at the club we can help you decide which is the most suitable group for you to join. If you are unsure which group to run in it is recommended that you start in a group that you could comfortably run in and work your way up.
Sunday Morning
On Sundays a group may meet in the morning for a longer run, typically off road. Details will be posted in advance by the Run Leader.
Out and About
In addition to the first Wednesday evening of the month, we occasionally have an ‘out and about’ event where we all meet together at different places around the glorious Isle of Purbeck.
Racing
We have a friendly club Championship which is based around local races with a mix of distances on both road and trail. Some of our members race in the Dorset Road Race League and the Purbeck Trail Series and we compete in the Wessex Cross Country League. As well as the local events, members often travel to races far and wide.
Social Events
There is a strong social element to all club activities. Aside from the club runs and races, we hold a number of events through the year as well as our Christmas party and awards evening.
Durlston Parkrun
Purbeck Runners were a key partner in starting Durlston Country Park parkrun providing a significant proportion of the funding. Club members played a major role in setting it up and make up a significant proportion of the organising team.
The parkrun is one of the most scenic in the country.
Many Purbeck Runners run and/or volunteer every Saturday at 9 a.m. so it is a good place to find out more about the club and experience the very friendly community vibe.
We meet for coffee at the lovely Seventhwave afterwards and there are always members there who will be delighted to answer any questions you may have.
Team photograph thanks to Ken Hewitt Photography
Club Committee
Chair – Paula Lawton-Archer
Secretary – Chris Simmonds
Treasurer – Alessandro Zanconato
Membership Secretary – Jayne Hodson
Social Secretary – Jenny Dickenson & Christine Hart-Burke
Welfare Officer – Abigail Baker
Championship Coordinator – Tracy Brooks
Coach & Runs Coordinator – Paula Lawton-Archer
Men’s Captain – Hamish Murray
Women’s Captain – Abigail Baker
Cross Country Captain – Martin Grimsdale
Purbeck 10k Race Director – Greg Bemment
Other Key Roles
Website Coordinator – Guy Hammersley