1 October 2026

At a first run club, four things happen: you register online before the day, you meet the group at the meeting point, you run, jog or walk the course at whatever pace suits you, and afterwards people stay around for coffee and conversation. At Hills Run Club you run laps from the one meeting spot (one or two 2.5 km laps on a Thursday, one or two 3 km laps on a Tuesday), so you are never far from the start, and walkers are as welcome as runners. There is no cost, no trial period and nobody timing you.

What actually happens at your first run

Here is how a first visit plays out, step by step:

• Register beforehand. Every run is registered in HRC+, the club's free membership program. Make your free account at hillsrunclub.com/hrc-plus and sign up for the run you want to attend. That is how the club knows who is coming and can let everyone know if details change.
• Arrive at the meeting point a little early. The Thursday Morning Run meets at 5:45am for a 6:00am start at Glenhaven Oval, 78 Glenhaven Road, Glenhaven. The Tuesday Night Run meets at 6:45pm for a 7:00pm start at Castle Hill Showground, Doran Drive, Castle Hill, under the lights.
• Run, jog or walk at your own pace. On Thursdays the course is 2.5 km or 5 km as one or two 2.5 km laps, and on Tuesdays it is 3 km or 6 km as one or two 3 km laps. Plenty of people do one lap, and walking the whole thing is fine too. Nobody in the group is checking your split times.
• Stay afterwards if you can. After the Thursday morning run the club sticks around for coffee and a sweet treat. That half hour after a run is where most friendships at the club actually start.

That is the whole format. No coaches, no sign-in sheets to fill in on the day, no separate beginner wave to worry about joining.

What to bring to a run club for the first time

You do not need much, and you do not need any club gear:

• Shoes and clothes you are comfortable moving in. Ordinary running gear is completely normal, and plenty of people first show up in whatever they train in.
• Water, especially for the Tuesday night runs in warmer months.
• A light layer for night runs. Castle Hill can feel cool once you stop moving.
• Your registration confirmation on your phone, just so the check-in is quick.
• A little cash or a card for coffee afterwards if you are staying, since the coffee stop is a separate, optional part of the morning.

Thursday morning or Tuesday night: which should your first one be?

Both runs follow the same format, so the right choice is the one that fits your week. Here is how they compare:

If you are an early riser, the Thursday morning run gives you a regular weekly anchor and the easiest conversation starter, because everyone lingers over coffee. If mornings are impossible, the fortnightly Tuesday night run under the lights is the friendlier entry point for anyone who finishes work late. Check the current listings at hillsrunclub.com/runs before you register, because special events sometimes take the place of a regular run, like the HRC Night Run x Sydney Thunder coming up.

Do you need to be fit to join?

No. Hills Run Club exists for runners, joggers and walkers alike, and the two-lap course is deliberately built so people of different paces can share the same morning. Doing one lap instead of two is common, and nobody will chase you for it. If the worry sitting behind your search is speed rather than fitness, the club answers that question properly in Do you need to be fast to join a run club?

It is also worth knowing what the run costs, which is nothing. The full breakdown of memberships, gear and optional extras is in How much does it cost to join a run club in Sydney?

What happens after the run

The run is the excuse; the staying around is the point. After a Thursday morning run the group heads for coffee, and people who met twenty minutes earlier end up talking like they have known each other for months. Nobody puts you on the spot, but arriving with your own reason to stay, even for one coffee, is the simplest way to leave your first run knowing a few names. The club has written a whole guide on how to meet people through a running club if you want to go in with a plan.