South Cambridge Striders

About us

Club history & mission

Welcome to South Cambridge Striders! We are a friendly, welcoming running club in South Cambridge with an emphasis on social, chatty running and a strong sense of community. We offer inclusive group runs for runners of all abilities, from complete beginners to more experienced runners.

South Cambridge Striders was founded in January 2024 as a small group training for the Cambridge Half Marathon. As race day approached, the group steadily grew, revealing a clear need for a friendly, inclusive running club in South Cambridgeshire. While we are based in South Cambridge, we welcome runners from across the local area and beyond.

Today, South Cambridge Striders is an England Athletics-affiliated club with over 50 members. We organise weekly group runs every Sunday morning and Tuesday evening in and around Trumpington, offering a range of distances and paces so everyone can find a group that suits them. Despite our growth, our friendly, welcoming ethos has stayed the same, with community still at the heart of everything we do.

We’re passionate about helping people get into running. Each January, we run a free Couch to 5K programme, with graduates encouraged to continue in our beginner-friendly 5K group. For runners looking to progress further, we also offer half-marathon training groups for popular local half marathons including the Cambridge Half Marathon.

Committee members

The committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the club, including governance, finances, and affiliations with relevant running and athletics bodies.

The club also has a social sub-committee, made up of both committee and club members. This group meets as needed to organise the club’s events and social activities

If you’re interested in getting involved with the committee or sub-committee, please contact the club’s Chairperson.

Testimonials from current members

After moving to Cambridge a couple of years ago, I struggled to find the right running club - until I joined South Cambridge Striders. It’s been a fantastic experience, with a supportive environment that really helps you focus on training, improve, and enjoy racing.

Ricardo

I was on the hunt for a friendly, informal running club in preparation for my first half-marathon in 2025. I was delighted to find the Striders were a chatty bunch, but despite that they ramped up my endurance and speed and thanks to them I enjoyed the half-marathon. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people in the group, and social events so far have included gliders and bagpipes as well as beer and pizza.

Adrian

I was looking for a social running club where I didn’t feel like hanging on for dear life with the pace! A very friendly and social group. Many can run a lot faster but ‘social run’ is key. So many members, enough for different groups. A highlight of my 2025 finding and joining South Cambridge Striders.

Everyone, led by the amazing run leaders and helpers, are so friendly and welcoming. What’s not to like.

Jackie

When I first started running with the Striders two years ago, I hadn’t run more than 10k. With the support and encouragement of the group, I am now training for the Cambridge Half Marathon! I really look forward to running with the group every week and it’s been great getting to know such an inspiring and supportive bunch of people along the way.

Vicky

Joining South Cambridge Striders was a highlight of my year last year. Having just moved to the area, I didn’t know any runners or any off-road routes. I joined the Sunday morning group and have absolutely loved it. A hugely welcoming and super organised group plus the club continues to offer more and more to its members. Thank you.

Clare

Lovely chat, relaxed pace, relaxing Sunday mornings in the fresh air - highly recommend this club!

Veronica

Starting the Couch to 5k programme with the South Cambridge Striders has been a brilliant experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started but the group was warm and welcoming. We have learnt a lot of techniques from the run leaders in a safe, supportive (and fun!) environment, always sticking together as a group and making sure no one gets left behind. It has been a great sense of achievement doing this together and being able to celebrate each other’s success with running. I would not have managed to complete the programme without the support of the group.

Jo

I joined the Striders cohort in February of this year and now - only 5 months later - I am already preparing for a 10k race in October and my wellbeing has improved significantly. Everyone's very friendly and encouraging, the group is inclusive of everybody at all ability levels and overall it's just a lovely community that has given me a sense of belonging from the get-go. I would recommend joining the SCS to anyone who wants to start their running journey or get back into it after a pause - this group is for everyone regardless of their fitness level and the coaches, as well as other fellow runners, are always there to ensure that no one is left behind.

Eglé

I’d like to give a big thank you to the South Cams Striders for organising the Couch to 5k that started in January. In this group I felt well supported and motivated to continue what I have achieved. I loved meeting with people from all walks of life and sharing our life stories and experiences through this group.

Yin

Even though I have always been reasonably active, I had never run more than 5K in my life. When I joined South Cambridge Striders in November 2024, I never imagined how far I would go. With the amazing support and encouragement from everyone, I gradually built up from 5K to 10K and then to longer runs. This led me to complete three half marathons — something I once thought was well beyond me.

The group is incredibly friendly and welcoming. The motto is “no one gets left behind,” and that truly means something…Another great benefit is the way we share knowledge during the runs — from breathing techniques and pacing tips to advice on running shoes and information about upcoming organised races. You’re always learning something new.

Running outdoors in the fresh air, surrounded by such a supportive group, has also brought huge psychological benefits. It has boosted my confidence in my physical abilities, improved my wellbeing and welcoming approach from the group has given me a real sense of belonging. I am really happy to be part of this group and would encourage anyone to come along and give it a try.

Mehmet