8 October 2026

You can start running even if you are completely unfit. Alternate short running efforts with walking, build up slowly over several weeks, and do it with other people. Hills Run Club runs are free, welcome walkers and suit beginners, so they are a good place to start. Make a free HRC+ account, register for a run and take it one lap at a time.

Being unfit is the normal place to start

You do not need to be fast, experienced or fit before your first run. Nobody is timing you, and everyone moves at their own pace. The club is built for people at the beginning of their running, not for people who already have it sorted.

Start with walk-run efforts

A walk-run effort is a short stretch of easy running followed by a short walk. Over the coming weeks the running parts can get longer and the walking parts shorter. Many beginners start with about one minute of running and two minutes of walking, then change the mix to suit how they feel. There is no fixed schedule you have to follow.

• Run at a pace where you can still speak in short sentences.
• Walk whenever you need to, then start the next effort when you feel ready.
• Stick to the same route for a few weeks so it starts to feel familiar.
• Stop and rest if something hurts. If you have a health condition or an injury, check with your doctor before you start.

Use one lap as your first goal

Our runs are built around laps, so you choose how far you go. One lap is a full run, not a warm-up. Two laps are there when you feel ready for more. Each option is a choice, not a total you have to reach.

Why a group helps you keep going

Running alone is easy to skip. A group gives you a set time and place, and a reason to come back the following week. On Thursday mornings there is a coffee and a sweet treat afterwards, so the run does not end when the last lap does. Stopping for a breather or walking part of the route with others is part of the club, not a failure.

How to register and join your first run

Running with the club is free. Make a free HRC+ account at hillsrunclub.com/hrc-plus/ and register for each run there. Every run is registered in HRC+, so register before you come. Upcoming runs include the Thursday Morning Run on 15 October and the Tuesday Night Run on 20 October. You can see every upcoming run at hillsrunclub.com/runs/.

Your first few weeks, one step at a time

Keep the first few weeks simple. Pick one run and come back to it. Walk as much as you need, and add a little more running only when the last effort felt comfortable. If you want to know what the first night is like before you arrive, read how to join a running club (and what your first run is like). If walking is your pace, can you walk a run club explains how walkers take part.