Stopsley Striders pride ourselves at being one of the friendliest and most supportive clubs in Bedfordshire. The club was established in 1982, by Tony Simmons, an ex-international athlete who wanted to encourage more people to run.

We are based at Luton Regional Sports Centre, Stopsley, situated close to the northern Luton border with Hertfordshire. From here there are run routes either on or off the roads.

At Striders we have runners of all abilities, from County Champions to absolute beginners, so there’s no need to worry that you won’t be good enough. We have approximately 180 members with ages ranging from 17 to 73.

Every year, we run a popular structured 12 week beginners course, organise a 5K ladies race, and in conjunction with Dunstable Road Runners, organise a 10K race and the Luton Marathon. We also compete in the Three Counties Cross Country League each year and also hold a number of social events throughout the year.

There are always Striders of all abilities entered into the Virgin London Marathon, so I’m sure we’ll have someone who can support you in your goal.

Your questions answered!

Where can I find you?

Club meetings are Monday and Thursday evenings, at 7:30 pm Luton Regional Sports Centre, Stopsley. A number of groups also meet up at the weekends for the longer runs.

For details of how to find us, please look on our web-site (www.stopsleystriders.org.uk) or send us an email.

What training do you do?

Monday evenings are for a general run, while on Thursdays there are also speedwork sessions available if you wish. We generally run 3 different level groups. There is also the opportunity of additional speedwork on Tuesday nights if you wish

Weekend runs are generally off road in the countryside on the Beds/Herts borders.

Can I turn up or do I have to join first?

We know it can be daunting coming along on your first night, but we are a friendly club and will strive to make you feel welcome so please come along and have a run. We welcome runners over 16 and off all abilities. You’re free to run with us for a few weeks until we ask you to think about joining us. When you do choose to join, our annual subs are only £15 per year, (after the initial joining fee) and £1 each club night.

I am only looking to train for the Virgin London Marathon, how will I find others to train with?

There are normally about a dozen Striders entered into the Virgin London Marathon, so there will be plenty of training partners.