Our run activities
Our regular run session is a Wednesday social run, usually with a choice of two groups (distance of up to 5 or 10km), 1845 for 1900 departure. Meeting in Queen Square, Bristol, unless there are events, in which case we'll meet in nearby Thunderbolt Square.
We also organise occasional longer runs, on weekends - meeting points vary, so please check the event detail on Strava
Other running events and socials, such as we did for LGBT History Month 2023, with our LGBTQ+ History Month Running Tour, and our 2024 Pride parkrun.
Our runs will be advertised on RunTogether (see below) where they will be led by an England Athletics licensed run coach. Where a licensed run coach isn't available, runs may still go ahead and may be led by an experienced runner actively leading the session or simply acting as a guide - see our Strava club. All members are welcome to suggest or lead an activity.
Our activities will usually be a social run, so the majority of the group will be running at a pace that's comfortable enough to be able to have a conversation.
However, we intend the sessions to be multi-ability, so may include elements such as repetitions and speed-play for enjoyment and to suit differently-paced runners.
Depending the availability of run leaders and the type of run, we may have more than one group, to accommodate differently-paced runners.
If the distances we're running aren't yet accessible to you, or you are returning to running, check out if there's a RunTogether 'get me started' group near you or the Couch to 5k plan.
Physical Activity Readiness Form
This is a common method of uncovering health and lifestyle issues prior to an exercise programme starting. The questionnaire is short and easy to administer and reveals any family history of illness.
If you answer 'yes' to any of the following questions it is advisable to seek a doctor's advice before joining our running activities, and please do get in touch to discuss any issues before the day of the run.
- Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
- Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
- In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
- Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
- Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
- Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart condition?
- Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?
Other considerations
Bristol Frontrunners follows its risk assessment so that we can enjoy the run and stay safe.
However, accidents do happen during road and trail running. Please consider anything you might need to have during the run, potentially including but not limited to:
- Medication 💊 - and if appropriate, let the run leader know you're carrying this
- Snacks 🍌
- Water 💧 - ideally hydrating before, during and after exercise
- Phone 📱 and mapping tool 🗺
- Footwear 👟 - road running shoes are usually suitable for our running events, but consider trail shoes for our monthly longer runs for better traction on slick surfaces and loose terrain
- Sun cream ☀ and sunglasses 😎 - please check the UV index for the day of your run; using this as a way to check whether sun protection is required avoids confusion around overcast days. Easily found on your mobile, if the forecast promotes a level of 3+ then the sun is powerful enough to cause sunburn, and sun protection is required
- Protective clothing - hi-viz in autumn and winter, and considering carrying a head- or body-worn light, and covering and hat in spring and summer.
You may also consider carrying 'in case of emergency' (ICE) contact information with you, such as on a Parkrun wristband, and the benefits of registering with Run Together include giving your run leader ICE details (in line with its privacy policy).
Facilities and getting to the meeting point
🚲 For bike, see Better by Bike's journey planner. There are plenty of bike racks near our usual Wednesday meeting point, including in King Street, Thunderbolt Square and at the Arnolfini.
🚌 For bus routes, see Travel West's journey planner.
🅿️ For car parking, see Where to park in Bristol. Check whether the meeting point is inside Bristol's clean air zone.
🚻 See the map of public toilets. Lots of venues are part of the Community Toilet Scheme, including Coffee #1 and The Hole in the Wall near Queen Square, meaning they are happy for members of the public to use their toilets.
We have an arrangement with Hey Dude Bar to be able to store our gear, at our own risk, during our Wednesday evening runs.
Questions or further information
For anything not answered here, please see our Runner FAQs or get in touch via our contact form.