Squirrel's annual awards - 2024
09/12/2024
Let's take a moment to celebrate the winners.
Supporting runners of all abilities near Broughton Astley
About us
Welcome to Squirrels Running Group! We are a friendly community of runners based in the beautiful village of Broughton Astley and neighbouring areas of south-west Leicestershire.
Squirrels was formed in 2012 and we now have in excess of 100 members, from Couch to 5k to Ultra marathon runners! In January 2024 Squirrels became England Athletics affiliated.
We welcome all abilities of runners, and have a strong mentality of positive encouragement and creating a supportive environment for each other. We also focus on the social aspect of running.
We look forward to welcoming you to the group.
News
Santa Dash & Dawdle 2024
08/12/2024
Well Storm Darragh certainly didn't stop the Santa's coming out this morning for the annual Santa Dash & Dawdle.
Membership - 2025
05/12/2024
Traditionally the Squirrels membership year runs from Jan to December, however as we are now an affiliated club, this is at odds with the England Athletics (EA) membership year. As a committee we have decided that it would be beneficial to align with the EA period. This will give a 15th month membership period starting in Jan 2025, and then...
C25K Graduation 2024
02/11/2024
Well wasn't that a fantastic morning at Braunstone parkrun!! 🤩
Membership - What we offer
Group training runs for all running abilities
Group training runs are a great way for runners of all levels to improve their fitness and stay motivated. We are proud to cater for all abilities.
Qualified UK Athletics run leaders and coaches
Our group training runs are led by UK Athletics qualified & insured run leaders and coaches. We have training plans & sessions for those looking to improve their 10k or 5k times. We also organise guest coaching sessions with other qualified coaches, specialising in specific areas.
Regular track sessions
We have a regular monthly track session at the Pingles stadium in Nuneaton. The cost of this is covered by your membership.
Discounts & a Christmas present
Joining our group means you will be UK Athletics affiliated, therefore you will receive a £2 discount when entering many races. We also give all members a Christmas present and have sourced discount codes at some of the top running gear retailers!
Social events and community involvement
Membership includes subsidised grub & a drink at our awards event and parties, and you can attend other social events we organise each year such as the Benidorm half marathon!
Support and camaraderie from fellow runners
We have several members who have started running from scratch with zero fitness and are now proud Ultra marathon runners! We are a supportive bunch keen to help each other out. Many of us attend races and events together.
Group runs
The group organises two runs each week that are a mixture of paced runs, intervals, and track sessions. Run nights are Monday and Wednesday, starting at 6:30pm from the White Horse pub car park in Broughton Astley.
You don't need to be a member to start running with us - let us know you are coming and try us out for the first few runs.
All abilities and paces are catered for.
Couch-to-5k
New to running? If so we have just the thing for you. Each year we offer a Couch-to-5K programme. This is suitable for anyone looking to try or return to running.
- No previous running experience needed
- Suitable for ANY fitness level
- For anyone aged 12+ with no upper age limit
- We are a friendly social group - come along and make new friends
- All groups led by insured UK Athletics Run Leaders
- A fun way to get fitter, lose weight and improve mental health
Training Plans
Got a bit more experience under your belt and looking to take the next step? We have structured training plans for improving your 5k or 10k times. You can work through these by yourself, or join along when the group next cycles through them.
The Community
The group organises social events such as bake-offs, award evenings, quizzes, and Christmas parties.
Many members participate in and volunteer at races & events locally, nationally and even abroad.
The group has annual Awards voted for by members, and Standards which encourage members to set themselves time or distance goals to improve their running ability and confidence.
Testimonials
I joined Squirrels a year ago during their Couch to 5k program and haven't looked back. With the amazing support through Squirrels I have got faster, completed numerous races including a couple of half a marathons, and now look forward to completing my first marathon in 2023! Such a supportive, knowledgeable, inclusive group. I just don't think there is a better group out there!
Zoe Fox
23rd December 2022
Really friendly group who have lots of different pace groups so anyone can be part of it. The run leaders are very good a getting all the individual groups out and back to meet up at the end. They also arrange some varied sessions to keep thing interesting. If you do an event with them, they always cheer everyone home. It give you such a lift. Lovely people
Clive Grafton-Reed
18th July 2019
They say people are friendlier up north but I have never met a group of friendly, encouraging and supportive set of people as the Squirrels. The motto of no-one gets left behind says it all. I came as a park runner and I am leaving as a marathon runner with massive achievements at all distances, you have changed my life.
Andrew Bannon
16th May 2024
Merchandise & Discounts
Check out the exclusive member discounts as well as official Squirrels merchandise and items from our partners.
Contact the group
Do you need to contact us?
If you are interested in joining Squirrels Running Group or have any questions, we would love to hear from you!
You can contact us through email or Facebook and we will get back to you as soon as possible.