NEW FOR JANUARY 2025:
A special Couch-to-5K course for women, trans, non-binary and queer runners, held on Saturday mornings!
Click here for more information on this and to sign up.
Our Thursday evening Couch-to-5K will return later in 2025, and this will be aimed at a general audience. If you want to get running up to 5 km and beyond in the meantime, however, you can try an app such as the one provided by the NHS to the wacky “Zombies, Run!”, which adds a creative, videogame-type aspect to training.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Couch-to-5K?
Couch-to-5K is a training programme for anyone who wants to get into running, taking place over the course of eight weeks. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or you’re returning to running after a lengthy break, the eight-week programme uses a mix of sessions that blend running and walking. Over the course of the eight weeks, the sessions will gradually involve more running than walking, and by the end, your fitness should be at the point where you can tackle a 5 km run without stopping.
Our course will be led by experienced running coach and long-standing club member Steve Hatton, and you’ll also have the chance to meet our other club members.
When does the course take place?
The course starts starts on Thursday 5th September, with weekly in-person sessions taking place every Thursday evening from Sugden Sports Centre (arrive 6:50 pm for a 7 pm start) until Thursday 24th October. There is also the graduation run at Parkrun (exact location TBC) at 9 am on Saturday 26th October (N.B. was originally Saturday 2nd November, but has been brought forward).
Who is this course for?
This course is open to anyone keen to start running regularly, whether a complete beginner, somebody who has perhaps dabbled in running very short distances every now and then, or somebody who is returning to running after a lengthy break.
As an LGBTQ+ running club, we strive to be welcoming and would love to see the uptake on the course reflect the brilliant diversity of Greater Manchester's LGBTQ+ community. We would therefore love to hear from a range of members of the wonderfully diverse LGBTQ+ community in Manchester, including (but certainly not limited to) women, people of colour, trans and non-binary people, as well as our straight ally friends.
Places are limited, so contact us as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
How many sessions a week are there, and when/where do they take place?
In total, you’ll do three sessions each week: one group activity taking place on Thursday evenings in a central Manchester location, the other two being at your own pace.
The in-person activity held on a Thursday evening at the same time as our regular Thursday club run, starting from Sugden Sports Centre (arrive at 6:50 pm for a 7 pm start). You’ll join in the warmup with our regular members, then set off on a separate guided session with experienced running coach and Manchester Frontrunners member Steve Hatton. After this, you’ll be able to join the rest of our club for our weekly post-run social at Via on Canal Street, with complimentary pizza. You can access lockers and changing facilities at the sports centre for a small entry fee of £2 (card only); you’ll also need to bring a pound coin or your own padlock to use the lockers.
The other two sessions will be remote activities set for you by Steve to be done in your own time, but they won’t be completely solo activities; you’ll be added to a WhatsApp group chat where you can share your progress and support each other.
When/where is the Couch-to-5K Graduation Run?
The final activity of the Couch-to-5K course is the Graduation Run, taking part in Parkrun at 9 am on Saturday 26th October (exact location TBC, though likely Stretford Parkrun). At this free 5K timed running event, you’ll have both club members running alongside you and volunteering, providing you with an extra bit of support.
How much does the course cost?
As we want to make this course as accessible as possible, we are offering this course for FREE! Parkrun is also free, though you do need to register for it. There are also some extra costs that are out of our control; for example, the showers and changing rooms at the Sugden Sports Centre cost £2 (payable by card).
If you do the course and would like to run 5K regularly with us (or maybe even push yourself further to do 7 or 10K), we would love it if you could join the club as a paid member. Any Couch-to-5K graduates who decide to join the club will get half-price membership for the year, as well as a free running vest and a buff!
What should I wear?
We strongly recommend you have running trainers, plus any suitable running or fitness attire of your choice, bearing in mind factors such as the weather. As the nights get longer, we also strongly advise that you wear some sort of high-visibility clothing like pictured below (e.g., neon running top, items with reflective elements), as it will improve your safety.
I’m worried I’ll be too slow. Is this course right for me?
Starting a new activity is always daunting, and being exposed to more experienced runners may make you feel nervous. That said, this course is all about you and learning to run 5K at your pace. We’ll also make sure that everybody feels welcome and that nobody feels left behind when running.
How do I sign up?
To sign up to the Manchester Frontrunners Couch-to-5K course, please contact Steve Hatton at steve@hattonrunning.com by Monday 2nd September. Places are limited, so please sign up as soon as possible.