Our background & Membership

Bedford Harriers was formed in 1985 by around a dozen people who got together to organise a road race (The Bedford Marathon). Since then, the club has steadily grown and we now have over 500 members. We also continue to organise road and cross-country races.

Main Training Nights

The Club's main training nights are Mondays and Wednesdays. We meet at Bedford International Athletic Stadium, (Barkers Lane, Bedford) at 6.30pm and following a Club warm-up session, we split into around a dozen different running groups of various standards. The groups usually start their training sessions at 6.45pm and most are back in the stadium by around 8.00pm. Details of the individual group training schedules are updated on a monthly basis and displayed on the club's notice board in the stadium and also on our website.

In addition to the main Monday and Wednesday training sessions, we also organise Friday night track sessions or indoor circuits.  These start at around 6.30pm and are usually finished by 7.30pm. The track sessions and circuits are open to members of all running abilities.

Coaching

Each of our running groups are lead by qualified coaches. All are qualified to at least UK Athletics (UKA) Level 2 standard and a number are qualified to or seeking higher level certification.

We operate a coaching hierarchy. This is based on the desired or range of 10k race time run by members of the group. Group schedules and training paces can be viewed here.

Membership

People interested in joining us can come along to the Club on any Monday or Wednesday. For those who are new to running we also offer an 'Induction Evening' in April each year. On this night we provide information about the club, about running in general and the programme of training that beginners will undertake over the following three months.

People new to the club are allowed one month's free trial and coaching. At the end of this period, they are required to complete our membership form and pay the appropriate membership fee (as detailed on our website).

Harriers Organised Races

Bedford Harriers currently organise three races each year. These are the Doug Anderson Memorial 5k, The Oakley 20 and the Bedford Triathlon. Together these races attract over 1,000 entrants from all over the UK.

Club members are welcome to run in these races. If not running however, they are encouraged to marshal at the events. Income from these races helps to subsidise the cost of membership and also support club funds. These funds are in turn used to purchase equipment for the club, subsidise the cost of coaching courses for members and provide transport to races etc.

Road Racing

Many members regularly run road races.  Particularly popular are the London Marathon and the Gt North Run in Newcastle, which normally attract between 40 and 50 Harriers entrants.   The race times achieved in all races are recorded on the Race Results Pages  of the club's website on an ongoing basis.  Each members individual times are also recorded on their own Runners Page.

The Club operates its own road race Championship. This consists of six road races - and is based on age graded scores of runners and  calculated from official race times.  Awards are presented to the overall winners on the road race championship, to the winners of the individual races and to the age category winners. The awards are presented at our Awards Night in February. 

Cross Country

The Club takes part in the 'Three Counties Cross Country' Series each year. This is a series of five monthly races that begin in October and end in February. A dozen running clubs from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire compete in the series. In addition to the above series, members of the club also take part in the Bedfordshire X-C and the South of England X-C championships. These events are usually run in January.

Harriers Kit

The Club provides a range of Club running kit items. These currently include running vests, running t-shirts, training t-shirts, long sleeve training t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, buffs and sports bags. Additional kit is avaiable for triathlon clothing.

In order for results to be taken into account for our Awards, members must run in Harriers club kit.

The Committee

The Harriers is currently run by a Committee of members who meet on the first Monday of each month.   Our Annual General Meeting is held on the last Wednesday in March. Elections to the Committee are held at this time and all members of the Club are eligible to stand for committee membership. The Committee year runs from April to March.

Use of Athletic Stadium

The Harriers are based at Bedford International Athletic Stadium.

Precautions to Take while Running

Bedford Harriers provides runners with safety advice when out running. Details of this can be seen here.

Further Information

If you require further information about the Harriers, please contact us at hello@bedfordharriers.co.uk