History | Royston Runners

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The club was formed in November 1985 by a small group of local runners
They were based at the Heath Sports Club in Royston which at the time was run collectively by the local sporting clubs
They signed up 60 members at the start
They formed a committee – Fred Wilding was the first Chairman with Dave Evans taking over later in the decade
The Buntingford 10 race was adopted by RR in its founder year and still exists today as the clubs premier event.

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After a short period at the Meridian School the club established a permanent base at the Heath Sports Club, which had now been taken over by the Snowden family.
The club grew its membership to around a 100 members
Many of the clubs runners were now taking part in the London Marathon and other races across the country.
The club had a distinctive red kit with the RR logo which is still used today
Chairmen/Chairwomen during this decade were Mark Sutherland, Wendy Jones, and Kevin Dixon
During this decade the club took over the towns annual 10k race from Meridian School
In 1996 the first ‘Long Short Relay’ was held. A jointly organised race with the Metro’s Running Club and run from Pinner in North London to Royston . The race was formed in memory of Clive Long who was a member of both clubs. It is still in existence today but only as an in house event around the villages of Royston due to police restrictions on the old course.
Many Royston Runners were gaining accolades for their achievements. One of the most notable was in 1999 when Royston Runner Brian Willis won the daunting Severn Sisters Marathon in under 3 hours!

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Membership of the club grew steadily during the decade
A new kit was launched moving to a black colour with a distinctive red chevron design
In 2001 the 10k race was moved to a run from the Heath to Therfield and back but had to finish in 2006 due to the Police restrictions on road closures. It was replaced by the Harvest Trail which is now in existence today as a half and quarter marathon.
In 2007 RR were on of the inaugural clubs to for the ARC (Association of Running Clubs) and are still affiliated to this day
Chairmen and Chairwomen during this decade included Janette Thomas, Malcolm Hall. Richard Dajda and Maurice Hill.

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The club has now grown to a membership of over 200 and is well established as one of the sporting institutions in the Royston area
As well as the ARC the club has also affiliated to EA (England Athletics)
The Harvest Trail was changed from a 10 mile into a half marathon trail run and along with the Buntingford 10 are the two annual iconic running events for the club
Pete Worsey took over as Chairman in 2012
It celebrated its 25th anniversary by holding a black tie ball at the Heath and recently it’s 30th birthday with a summer party at the same venue

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airperson Isabel Marriage steered the club through its toughest times during the covid years. Serving its members in ever more imaginable ways so that running was continued safely. Handing the baton to Michael Curran in 2023
The Club continues to grow year on year to over 330 members and attracting new members at a rate of 10% per annum
Welcomed 17 Honorary Members, given lifetime free membership of the Club, in recognition of their long service, running prowess and continued service to the Club
2023 saw the Club ‘go-digital’ introducing its own ‘one stop’ app for booking training, purchasing club kit and social event tickets, communication and sharing information
2024 the Club became fully UKA English Athletics compliant. With all coaches, club captains and group leaders fully trained and licenced with a minimum of Leadership in Running Fitness accreditation. All official, coaches, captains and group leaders fully DBS approved
2024 sees the integration of Crows, the Clubs junior division, with Crows members transitioning to adult running and participating in inter-county and national events
2024 sees Brain Jones, Mens Captain, competing in the 2024 World Masters Athletics Championships, the 25th in a series World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships, taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden. Brian ranks in the UKs Top 5 in his age category.
In 2025 the Club celebrates its 40th birthday with some special social events planned!

History of Royston Runners