Red Rose Road Runners is a friendly and sociable running club based in Preston and the South Ribble areas. The club offers a relaxed environment enabling you to improve your running ability with a variety of different types of training and events. Although the word “road” appears in our name, we also participate in cross country, trail, off-road and fell running. We are seeking to increase the range of activities on offer.
Groups runs take place at various locations in and around Preston on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday while members often organise their own runs at weekends. During the summer, we also have a number of runs in the local countryside. You will be encouraged to run at your own pace to accommodate our mixed range of abilities and experience.
Group support will keep you motivated and having people to run with will encourage you to get out of the door when you don’t feel like it. Running with like-minded people means that you are able to discuss injuries, targets, races, ambitions and other running issues. It also provides the bonus of being safer, particularly for female runners.
Red Rose are one of the biggest clubs in the area and we encourage potential members to come along for a few training sessions before signing up.
England Athletics
The club is affiliated to England Athletics and we also affiliate all eligible subscription paying members. This provides both club and members with benefits which are described on the England Athletics web site.
Preston Sports Forum
The club is a member of Preston Sports forum. This is an organisation run by volunteers from the various sports clubs serving the city of Preston. The Preston Sports forum Facebook Page is their official web presence.
History
The club was founded on the 23rd April 1982 and very quickly grew attracting members from all over Lancashire. The July 1984 newsletter notes that the club had about 600 members on its books of which only 360 had paid their subscriptions. “Don’t think you can get away with that today!” says the Membership Secretary. Thereafter the club maintained its strength until a period of decline set in. The membership fell to a low point of 49 when a group of members, many of whom are still active club members, decided not to let the club die and took things in hand. Their efforts and enthusiasm provided the springboard which brought the club to where it is today.
One of the changes in the club has been the reduction in the geographic area it serves. In 1982 the membership was drawn from a wider area with many members drawn from the country to the East of Blackburn. Although we are not a Preston club, most of our 561 (Mar 2020) members are now drawn from an area within 15 miles of Preston. The map below shows the number of members in each post code where we are represented and although the detail has changed since this was created in 2016, the general picture remains valid.
Another change has been brought about through the availability of the Internet – our members are more in touch with the club and each other through the use of this website, Facebook and email. The website has gone through at least three stages of development and each time we have seen interest in the club rise.
Most of our new members say they joined the club because of the friendly welcome they received at races and events, especially parkrun. Certainly the Internet helps us to keep together but it is the way we behave face to face that really counts.
Today our membership is growing and the club is vibrant, friendly and active. Together we must work to keep it that way.
| Year | Membership | % change from previous year |
| 2019 | 561 | 100% |
| 2018 | 563 | 109% |
| 2017 | 516 | 111% |
| 2016 | 466 | 119% |
| 2015 | 382 | 129% |
| 2014 | 296 | 136% |
| 2013 | 218 | 108% |
| 2012 | 201 | 121% |
| 2011 | 166 | 124% |
| 2010 | 134 | 135% |
| 2009 | 99 | 106% |
| 2008 | 93 | 129% |
| 2007 | 72 | 103% |
| 2006 | 70 | 109% |
| 2005 | 64 | 103% |
| 2004 | 62 |
We have not had anyone offering to write the history of the club. If anyone wants to help then please get in touch with the Membership Secretary. In the meantime you can browse the Old Newsletters section.