1 October 2026

Joining a running club is simpler than most people expect: pick a run, make a free HRC+ account, register for that run and arrive at the meeting point a little early. At Hills Run Club your first run is a lapped course (one or two 2.5 km laps on a Thursday, one or two 3 km laps on a Tuesday), you can walk it, and afterwards there is coffee and a sweet treat with people who were also nervous the first time they came. Here is exactly how it works.

How to join Hills Run Club in four steps

1. Make a free HRC+ account. HRC+ is the club's free membership program. You register at hillsrunclub.com/hrc-plus/ and use it to sign up for runs, keep track of events and access partner offers and giveaways.
2. Choose your run. The club holds two regular runs. You can see what is coming up and register at hillsrunclub.com/runs/.
3. Register for that run in HRC+. Every run is registered individually, so sign up for the specific date you want before you come.
4. Come along and move at your own pace. Thursday runs are 2.5 km or 5 km as one or two 2.5 km laps and Tuesday runs are 3 km or 6 km as one or two 3 km laps. One lap is a genuine run, and walkers are always welcome.

That is the whole process. There is no membership fee, no trial period and no minimum fitness level to meet.

What happens at your first run

The Thursday Morning Run meets at 5:45am for a 6:00am start at Glenhaven Oval, 78 Glenhaven Road, Glenhaven. People arrive, say hello, and set off together at 6:00am. The course is a 2.5 km lap of the oval area, run once or twice (2.5 km or 5 km), so you are never far from the start, and nobody is left behind on the second lap. Afterwards the group stays for coffee and a sweet treat.

If mornings are not your thing, the Tuesday Night Run meets every second Tuesday at 6:45pm for a 7:00pm start at Castle Hill Showground, Doran Drive, Castle Hill, under the lights. A 3 km lap, run once or twice, and the same welcome.

Where and when the runs happen

Upcoming runs are listed on the runs page, where you can also register for each one through HRC+.

Can anyone join a running club?

Yes. Hills Run Club is built for runners, joggers and walkers, and there is no pace you need to hold to belong. If two laps sound like too much for a first outing, one lap is a complete run in its own right, and plenty of members started exactly that way. What the club asks for is not speed. It is showing up.

If you are worried about being the slowest person there, it helps to read Do you need to be fast to join a run club? first. The short answer is no, and the longer answer is that the group you run with is chosen to match your pace, not the other way around.

What does it cost to join?

Nothing. Running with the club is free, and the HRC+ account you need to register for runs is free too. Hills Run Club is a community running club, not a paid program, so there is no membership fee to weigh up before your first run. If you want the detail behind that, Is Hills Run Club free to join? covers it.

Five tips for your first run

• Register in HRC+ for the specific run you want before the day, so the club knows you are coming.
• Arrive a little before the meeting time so you can settle in and say hello without rushing.
• Wear whatever you would comfortably walk in. No special gear is needed.
• Start with one lap if that feels right. Two is always there for next time.
• Stay for the coffee. The run is the invitation, but the coffee is where the club actually happens.

The meeting people part, which is the real reason most people join, works best once you have been two or three times. How to meet people through a running club walks through that in detail.