RunChums is a fun, friendly mixed running and walking group for adults, based in and around Four Crosses, helping people improve their social and physical wellbeing. Whether you’re starting from scratch or building towards a big challenge, the group is designed to make running and walking feel welcoming and achievable. The club meets 6.30pm on Mondays.

RunChums was formed in April 2020, shortly after the pandemic.  What started as a small group of friends and two leaders desperate to get back to regular activity, grew rapidly.  Six years on, they have four leaders and a leader-in-training and look after around 80 members.  They meet at various locations in Powys and Shropshire, which keeps it fresh, provides a diverse range of routes and scenery and ensures there’s something for everyone. The member base covers a wide area, from Ruyton XII Towns, to Marton, to Llanfair Caereinion and St Martin’s.

RunChums Co-Founder, Claire Allen says, “We introduced a walking group in 2024 to encourage more people to get out and about.  This has been very successful, with walkers often asking to join the next Couch to 5K running group, or tired runners joining the walkers, so they don’t miss out on the social side and still get the benefits of fresh air and friendship.  We aim to create a relaxed, safe space where people can move more, meet others and feel good doing it.”

Unlike traditional running clubs, RunChums focuses on encouragement over performance. “It’s not about being the fastest,” says member Marcus Matthews. “It’s about showing up, having a laugh, and leaving feeling better than when you arrived.”  Marcus completed the 2025 C25K course and has recently smashed the Brynkinalt 10k, which is a challenging and gloriously muddy trail run.

Run sessions include interval groups for those who need walk breaks, continuous run groups for the more experienced members, with options for different paces. In addition, a 10-week C25K course is offered early each year, for new or returning runners – which definitely requires commitment!  This year’s course members recently celebrated their final run at Newtown parkrun, after which they joined the regular running groups.

In addition to the Monday groups, for those wishing to improve their running skills, weekly training sessions on Wednesdays are held for those who have completed a C25K course or who are already established runners.  We also offer longer runs on Friday mornings for those who want to challenge themselves to a 10k race or beyond,  often going off-road, which is a totally different dimension!  This April, several members completed the Welshpool 10k, Wrexham 10k, the Virtual London Marathon and London Marathon itself.

There’s no upper age limit for members and the club has runners and walkers up to 80 and beyond.  New members are supported from day one and no one is ever left behind, whether running or walking.  They do ask that all applicants are able to walk briskly for 30 minutes.

If you’d like to give RunChums a try, contact them at info@runchums.co.uk  You can attend two guest sessions before becoming a permanent member.

What the members say:

“I’ve found my love for running again – I’ve gone back to basics and learned how to run properly.  I can’t thank you enough.”  Angela L

I highly recommend RunChums to anyone looking to start their running journey or just wanting to be part of a friendly community. It’s been fantastic, and I look forward to continuing my running adventure with this amazing group!”  Annette B

“I have now progressed to running 5k and 10k races and have moved up a speed group.  I am so grateful to the leaders who give up their free time to encourage people like me to get moving.”  Sharon T

The club is affiliated to and supported by the Association of Running Clubs (ARC).