8 October 2026

The right run club is the one where you finish feeling that coming back next week is easy. For most beginners, that means a group where nobody expects you to be fast, where you can walk when you need to, and where you choose how far you go. Hills Run Club is a free community running club in the Hills District of Sydney, NSW, and it is built around that idea.

Start with how you want to feel

Speed is the wrong place to start. A better question is how much effort you want to put in, and whether you can still hold a conversation while you move. If you can chat in full sentences, you are at a comfortable pace for most group runs.

Think about which of these sounds like you:

• Building up slowly: you want a steady pace, short rests and room to breathe.
• Running regularly: you have some runs behind you and want a group to run with each week.
• Walking: you would rather walk, or mix walking and running, and still want to be part of the group.

Compare the two regular runs

Hills Run Club has two regular runs. Both are free, and both offer distance options you choose from.

Thursday mornings finish with coffee and a sweet treat. Tuesday nights run under the lights at Castle Hill Showground, so plan your evening around the later start.

How the distance options work

Each run offers two distance options, and you choose the one that suits you on the day. These are options, not totals you have to reach. One lap is a full run, so there is no need to take the longer option to belong.

A sensible way to start is with the shorter option. Once you know how that distance feels, you can decide whether the longer one is worth it.

Questions to ask before you go

A welcoming group will answer plain questions without fuss. Before your first run, check these:

• Can I walk part of the run, or all of it?
• Which distance option should a newer runner choose?
• Where do I meet, and where do I park?
• Is it free, and how do I register?

Send your questions to @hillsrunclubau on Instagram. On a Tuesday night, enter Castle Hill Showground via Doran Drive, the entrance closest to the metro. Take the first left and follow the road to the lit oval, where the group meets at the large shed with plenty of parking around it.

Sign up before you come

Running with Hills Run Club is free. Create a free HRC+ account at HRC+, then register for each run you plan to attend, because every run is registered in HRC+. Upcoming runs, including the Thursday Morning Run on 15 October and the Tuesday Night Run on 20 October, are listed on the runs page.

Read next

If speed is your worry, read do you need to be fast to join a social run club? If walking is your plan, can you walk a run club? explains how walkers take part.

Questions and answers