Glossopdale Harriers

Running is an all year sport for many of us and for those who enjoy racing there is an almost unlimited number of events to participate in.

Fell Running

Our proximity to good hills puts us in an enviable position in relation to many other running clubs. Having Kinder, Bleaklow and their foothills on our doorstep is a tremendous magnet for many of our members.

Most of us like to roam the hills, get away from the traffic and take in the atmosphere and views. This applies in equal measure to runners of all abilities. As a club, we love the hills and a good number of our members are also members of the Fell Runners Association. This is a national organisation whose aims are to promote fell running as a sport. The most tangible benefit of membership is the fixture calendar, which contains details of races on offer throughout the year.

Our achievement in competition is high for a small club and we are proud of our elite runners who have forged Glossopdale’s name in the fell running record books on numerous occasions.

Road Races

Over the years our members have raced in events too numerous to mention. The marathon boom of the 1980’s played a key role in bringing keen but inexperienced runners together to form the club. The club has a small group of members who prefer to run on the road. Strengthening the road running section is one of our aims. If this appeals to you, then are especially welcome. This year we have increased the proportion of road and trail races in the club championship. These events are excellent opportunities to experience racing and to meet club members.

Cross Country

This is our traditional winter workout. We subscribe to 2 leagues, South East Lancashire and Red Rose. These present a dozen or so great opportunities to blow off the winter cobwebs between October and January. Races are on Saturday afternoons. We are fortunate to have a keen pro-activist in Bill Buckley. He has worked tirelessly over the years to encourage participation in the cross country season and this remains strong within the culture of the club. Try it - you might like it.

Organised Training Runs

Competition in races is not everyone’s cup of tea and a number of members use the club night training runs as an opportunity to run in the safety of numbers, with like minded people. It is not uncommon for members to meet training partners from within the group. Many long-term friendships have emerged from the group training runs.

There is no better way to discover the tracks and trails of Glossop and surrounding areas, than the escorted tours on summer club night runs. To find out more details about our club runs and events please look at our club calendar.

Club Membership

We are actively looking for ways to encourage newcomers and born again athletes into the club. So if running has not been your thing and you are uncertain about being thrown into the deep end of group runs, please contact one of the committee members. We can arrange for some initial support, guidance and encouragement until you find your feet, lungs and confidence.

Membership applications are processed with minimal formality. All you need to do is complete the application form and send it, with a fee of £10 included (cheques payable to ‘GLOSSOPDALE HARRIERS’), to the membership secretary. A receipt will be duly dispatched. If you would like to join England Athletics, then please add £10 to your subs. This is for off track membership of EA, so includes road and cross country but not track and field. Members cannot join without going through Glossopdale as application has to be made through an affiliated club.

Club Rules

We are an athletics club registered with UK Athletics, the governing body for athletics. As such we are bound by their rules, and also those of our regional administrators, the North of England Athletics Association. Therefore, the rules of our club reflect the criteria imposed by the governing bodies for the sport.

A copy of the club constitution is attached. The rules are written in legalese and are there to prevent cheating in the main. The more basic rules that are important to most of us can be distilled into the following short list.

Don’t join more than one club as a ‘first claim’ member.
Don’t enter races as a Glossopdale runner if you are not a paid up member.
Do pay your annual subscriptions on time.
Do wear official club colours when you compete as a Glossopdale Harrier.


	Running is an all year sport for many of us and for those who enjoy racing there is an almost unlimited number of events to participate in. Fell Running Our proximity to good hills puts us in an enviable position in relation to many other running clubs. Having Kinder, Bleaklow and their foothills on our doorstep is a tremendous magnet for many of our members. Most of us like to roam the hills, get away from the traffic and take in the atmosphere and views. This applies in equal measure to runners of all abilities. As a club, we love the hills and a good number of our members are also members of the Fell Runners Association. This is a national organisation whose aims are to promote fell running as a sport. The most tangible benefit of membership is the fixture calendar, which contains details of races on offer throughout the year. Our achievement in competition is high for a small club and we are proud of our elite runners who have forged Glossopdale’s name in the fell running record books on numerous occasions.

	Road Races Over the years our members have raced in events too numerous to mention. The marathon boom of the 1980’s played a key role in bringing keen but inexperienced runners together to form the club. The club has a small group of members who prefer to run on the road. Strengthening the road running section is one of our aims. If this appeals to you, then are especially welcome. This year we have increased the proportion of road and trail races in the club championship. These events are excellent opportunities to experience racing and to meet club members.

	Cross Country This is our traditional winter workout. We subscribe to 2 leagues, South East Lancashire and Red Rose. These present a dozen or so great opportunities to blow off the winter cobwebs between October and January. Races are on Saturday afternoons. We are fortunate to have a keen pro-activist in Bill Buckley. He has worked tirelessly over the years to encourage participation in the cross country season and this remains strong within the culture of the club. Try it - you might like it.

	Organised Training Runs Competition in races is not everyone’s cup of tea and a number of members use the club night training runs as an opportunity to run in the safety of numbers, with like minded people. It is not uncommon for members to meet training partners from within the group. Many long-term friendships have emerged from the group training runs. There is no better way to discover the tracks and trails of Glossop and surrounding areas, than the escorted tours on summer club night runs. To find out more details about our club runs and events please look at our club calendar.

	Club Membership We are actively looking for ways to encourage newcomers and born again athletes into the club. So if running has not been your thing and you are uncertain about being thrown into the deep end of group runs, please contact one of the committee members. We can arrange for some initial support, guidance and encouragement until you find your feet, lungs and confidence. Membership applications are processed with minimal formality. All you need to do is complete the application form and send it, with a fee of £10 included (cheques payable to ‘GLOSSOPDALE HARRIERS’), to the membership secretary. A receipt will be duly dispatched. If you would like to join England Athletics, then please add £10 to your subs. This is for off track membership of EA, so includes road and cross country but not track and field. Members cannot join without going through Glossopdale as application has to be made through an affiliated club.

	Club Rules We are an athletics club registered with UK Athletics, the governing body for athletics. As such we are bound by their rules, and also those of our regional administrators, the North of England Athletics Association. Therefore, the rules of our club reflect the criteria imposed by the governing bodies for the sport. A copy of the club constitution is attached. The rules are written in legalese and are there to prevent cheating in the main. The more basic rules that are important to most of us can be distilled into the following short list. Don’t join more than one club as a ‘first claim’ member. Don’t enter races as a Glossopdale runner if you are not a paid up member. Do pay your annual subscriptions on time. Do wear official club colours when you compete as a Glossopdale Harrier.