Edinburgh & the Lothians

Running clubs In Edinburgh & the Lothians

Across the Edinburgh & Lothian area there is a multitude of running clubs, listed below. They create a network of provision that lets anyone who wants to run fairly seriously join liked-minded people for training and race competition.

Being part of a club is a great way of motivating yourself and improving your performance. Clubs will usually meet twice a week, often for programmed sessions, and there can be opportunities for other organised runs. It's also a great way to make friends and to get involved in social activities.

Clubs in Edinburgh & the Lothians

Edinburgh

• Carnethy Hill Racing Club
• Corstorphine AAC
• East District Cross Country League
• Edinburgh Athletic Club (Clubmark Accredited)
• Edinburgh Frontrunners
• Edinburgh Hash House Harriers
• Edinburgh Running Network
• Edinburgh University Hare & Hounds
• Ferranti AAC
• Harmeny Athletic Club
• Heriot-Watt University Athletics
• Hunters Bog Trotters
• Portobello Running Club
• Edinburgh PubRun
• Scottish Athletic League
• Sri Chinmoy AC (Scotland)

East Lothian

• Dunbar Running Club
• Haddington East Lothian Pacemakers
• Musselburgh & District AC

Midlothian

• JSB Plumbing Forth Valley League
• Lasswade Athletics Club
• Penicuik Harriers
• Team East Lothian

West Lothian

• Linlithgow AAC
• Livingston and District AAC
• Lothian and Borders Police AC
• Lothian Running Club

Quick Focus On Portobello Runners

Who are Portobello Runners?

The club was formed in 1984 when a group of women, fed up with being heckled by youths running down Portobello Promenade on their own, decided to run as a group. Pretty soon several of their menfolk joined them and, then a coach, Ian Brodie, and before long there was a running club. Of the founders, Angela Murray is still an honorary member and one of the earliest joiners, Gillian McKelvie, still runs with us each week. We’re currently the second most dedicated participators by number of attendances at the Edinburgh parkrun after jogscotland.

Where and when do you meet?
Over the winter we meet in the Indoor Bowling Club located on the promenade at Westbank Street. In the summer we re-locate to the Commonwealth Pool and make use of Queen’s Park, Arthur’s Seat and the Meadows.

What kinds of routes do you cover?
Most of our winter running takes place either along the promenade and beyond as far as Musselburgh Racecourse, in the Restalrig area and around Portobello Park. This means we run mainly on the flat although some small streets in the Joppa/Musselburgh area are steep enough to do some useful hill work. In the summer we use Arthur’s Seat to get in some serious hill training, and go off the trails regularly. The club splits into three groups and choose repetitions, fartlek, parlouf sessions, or long runs, but we make a point of everyone running within a group that will be testing.

How many members?
Membership runs from January to January and by the end of 2012 year we had about 140 members plus honoraries. 

Ages and abilities?
There is a wide spread of both age and ability in the club. Our youngest is about 22 and the pater familias and Masters internationalist, Willie Murray, is 75. We do not select on entry so anyone can come along and give us a try, but a potential member should expect to run for an hour at a reasonable pace to start with.

Do you organise any of your own races?
We have had a long-standing four-mile race in June each year that has taken place along the Promenade on a Thursday evening. This June though, we are introducing a Beach Race of the same distance, along the tide line.

Plans for the future?
Although we started as mainly roadrunners, in recent years the membership is taking hill, cross country and ultra running more seriously. This off-road interest will probably continue to grow.

Sum up the club in one sentence...
Very friendly, but strangely challenging.

Find out more at their website

Running Services In Edinburgh & the Lothians

There are a number of essential services - including physiotherapy, sports massage, nutrition, podiatry and personal training - that runners use regularly to keep in good condition. Edinburgh and the Lothians has a wide range of specialist service providers

Lynne Pearson Personal Trainer

As a dedicated runner and club member, Lynne Pearson knows how a personal training programme can complement your running routine. The qualified Level 3 personal trainer offers her services to runners of all abilities and is based at the Centre of Sport and Exercise at Edinburgh University.

Lynne told us:

Personal training is a great way to help achieve your running goals whether you are new to running or a seasoned athlete. Training plateaus, injuries and reduced levels of performance can be problems that runners are all too familiar with. If your goal is to improve your overall running performance or you just don’t know where to start looking for advice, I can help.

Lynne offers the following services:

• Individual tailored training programmes
• Nutritional advice and assessments
• Exercise programmes specific to your running goals ensuring you improve your performance and remain injury free.

For more information visit www.edinburghcitypersonaltrainer.co.uk or email Lynne.

If you offer a service to runners in the Edinburgh and Lothians area, and would like to be included on this page, please contact us.

SERVICES FOR RUNNERS IN EDINBURGH & THE LOTHIANS

Coaching

• Beginners Running Workshops (Billy Braidwood), Tues & Thurs, South Queensferry T: 07759088216

Nutrition Advice

Please contact us and we will include details of your service

Physiotherapy

• Bruntsfield Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine Clinic Bruntsfield, Edinburgh
• Empower Physiotherapy Market St, Edinburgh
• Midlothian Physiotherapy Dalkeith
• Physis Physiotherapy, Edinburgh
• Health By Science, Edinburgh (also for Personal Training & Sports Massage)

Podiatry

Please contact us and we will include details of your service

Personal Training

• Edinburgh City Personal Trainer (Lynne Pearson), Edinburgh 
• Empower Physiotherapy Market St, Edinburgh
• Fit&Happy Edinburgh
• jcfitness Inverleith Road, Edinburgh

Sports Massage

Massage Therapies (Benedetta Gaetani d’Aragon), Morningside, Edinburgh

Running groups in Edinburgh & the Lothians

For those of you who want to run but not in a competitive way, joining a running group can be an enjoyable route to improving your fitness and having fun. Many running groups are based at specialist running shops or local leisure centres. Best of all jogscotland is Scotland's very own jogging network which uses simple walk/jog/run programmes to encourage everyone to get out and be fit and active.

One such club is Armadale Jolly Joggers..

Armadale Jolly Joggers

When she was asked to set up a running group for the Armadale Run 4 Fun event last year, Marie Claire Donnelly didn’t envisage it would still be going a year later. Yet that’s exactly what has happened to the Armadale Jolly Joggers, as Marie Claire tells us: "I was asked to start the running group as part of the Armadale Together for Health campaign in preparation for the local Run 4 Fun. I was happy to do it and after receiving such a positive response decided to keep the group going."

The group has become something of a recruiting ground for jog leaders, Marie Claire explains: "It’s quite a nice story actually. Karen McDonald started as a beginner with us and really took to running. She was great at motivating other people so decided to enrol in the jogscotland leadership course and is now a leader at the Jolly Joggers.

"Another girl, Louise Moffat, is currently putting herself through the leadership course so she will be a jog leader soon. Everyone just enjoys coming along and it’s rewarding seeing how far some of our members have progressed. It’s not just about the running though. We describe it as ‘free therapy’ because you are able to discuss anything with other members and always feel better after doing so."

In addition to jogging, the group enjoys regular nights out: "We definitely have an active social life. You could say we turn from the Jolly Joggers into the Jolly Jakeys! We go to shows at Edinburgh festival and have an annual Christmas night out. We’re as much about having fun as we are about running. "

The group meets at Armadale Community Centre three times a week: Tuesdays at 9:15am/7pm, Thursdays at 6:30pm and Saturdays at 10:15am. Although it is currently all female, men are also welcome to take part. "It’s not strictly for women, and we have had men run with us in the past. There are around 25-30 members and the levels are very varied. We have some members who are preparing for the Edinburgh half marathon in May, whilst other are getting ready to do the 5k."

Like the members, the range of distances the group covers also varies: "Some people do about one mile or one and a half miles, whereas others can go for seven miles. We run to Bathgate quite often or go out towards Blackridge where there’s a cycle path which we follow.
"I like to vary our sessions so we sometimes do hill reps or sprints. It helps keep people interested and is also a good way of measuring your progress. You can see members running further up a hill than the last time. It gives them a sense of satisfaction."

Marie Claire is keen to see the group expand and encourages anyone reading to get in contact: "We’re tying to foster a environment where people feel welcome. It’s not overly serious and you needn’t feel intimidated if you’ve never run before."

If that sounds appealing, you can email Marie Claire. As well as the jogscotland group, she also runs fitness company Dream Fitness, providing fitness classes in West Lothian. For more information, visit their website

jogscotland groups in the Edinbugh & the Lothians

Edinburgh

• Ainslie Park
• Balerno
• Big Hearts
• C.A.R.S
• Corstorphine jogscotland Group
• Cramond jogscotland
• Edinburgh Frontrunners (Glenogle)
• Edinburgh (Dalry) Health All Round
• Edinburgh Lothian Road Run 4 It
• Edinburgh Newington Running Group
• Edinburgh Park
• Edinburgh University
• Gracemount
• Heriot Watt University
• Inverleith Park
• jb's joggers
• Leith Victoria
• Maggie's Centre
• Mums On The Run Edinburgh
• North Merchiston Club
• Pentland Joggers
• Portobello
• Ropey Runners
• Roseburn Park
• Stockbridge
• Run Club
• South Queensferry - Billy Braidwood
• The Murrays
• Westwoods Health Club

East Lothian

• Dunbar jogscotland
• jogscotland Haddington
• Meadowmill Sports Centre
• North Berwick

Midlothian

• Bonnyrigg
• Dalkeith Kings Park
• Dalkeith Ironmills Park
• Dalkeith/Eskbank
• jogscotland Lasswade Not Last Place
• jogscotland Penicuik
• Midlothian Pink Laydeez
• Mums On The Run Penicuik
• Newtongrange
• Pathhead jogscotland Group

West Lothian

• Armadale Jolly Joggers
• Broxburn
• jogscotland Bo'ness
• Linlithgow
• Livingston
• Personal Jog Training Sessions
• Xcite Armadale Joggers

Leisure facilities in Edinburgh & the Lothians

Xcite Linlithgow is an excellent sized health and fitness centre, kitted out with the latest in cardiovascular and weight equipment by technogym. There is a 20m pool, teaching pool, poolside sauna and steam cabins. There is also a fitness studio which is home to a terrific range of fitness classes and club activities. The sports hall caters for a great choice of sports activities. For the kids there is the original Space Bugs Soft Play Adventure Zone. There is also a café area for you to enjoy refreshments after a hard workout or to relax with friends while your kids get active.

Xcite Linlithgow

Address	McGinley Way, Linlithgow, West Lothian EH49 6SQ
Opening Hours	Mon-Fri: 07.00-22.00, Sat: 08.45-20.00 & Sun: 08.15-22.00
Contact	www.westlothianleisure.com or 01506 775440
Facilities Available	Technogym 20m Pool, Teaching Pool, Sauna & Steam Cabins Fitness Studio Sports Hall Space Bugs Soft Play Adventure Zone Café
Classes	Body Step, Body Combat, Zumba, Body Attack, Body Pump, Yoga, Aquafit, Muay Thai Boxing, Circuits, Tum Bum & Thighs
Running Group	Linlithgow jogscotland on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 7pm. Groups are mixed. Contact: Sarah Burgon - sburgon@westlothianleisure.com

Local authority leisure dacilities in Edinburgh & the Lothians

Edinburgh

• Ainslie Park Leisure
• Craiglockhart Leisure Centre
• Dalry Swim Centre
• Drumbrae Leisure Centre
• Glenogle Swim Centre
• Gracemount Leisure Centre
• Jack Kane Sports Centre
• Kirkliston Leisure Centre
• Leith Victoria Swim Centre
• Leith Waterworld
• Meadowbank Sports Centre
• Portobello Swim Centre
• Queensferry High Recreation Centre
• Queensferry Recreation Centre
• Royal Commonwealth Pool
• Saughton Sports Complex
• Warrender Swim Centre
• Virgin Active Omni Centre
• Virgin Active Edinburgh
• Greens Health & Fitness Edinburgh
• Bannatyne's Health Club Edinburgh
• Living Well Health Club Edinburgh Airport
• Living Well Health Club Edinburgh Caledonian
• David Lloyd Edinburgh
• David Lloyd Edinburgh Newhaven Harbour
• Factory Gyms Edinburgh
• Pure Gym Edinburgh

East Lothian

• Musselburgh Sports Centre
• Mercat Gait Centre
• Meadowmill Sports Centre
• Aubigny Sports Centre
• North Berwick Sports Centre
• Dunbar Leisure Pool

Midlothian

• Bonnyrigg Leisure Centre
• Danderhall Community Centre
• Gorebridge Leisure Centre
• Loanhead Leisure Centre
• Mayfield Leisure Centre
• Newbattle Swimming Pool
• Newtongrange Leisure Centre
• The Penicuik Centre

West Lothian

• Xcite Armadale
• Xcite Bathgate
• Xcite Broxburn Sports Centre
• Xcite Broxburn Swimming Pool
• Xcite Livingston
• Xcite Craigswood
• Xcite East Calder
• Xcite Linlithgow
• Xcite Whitburn
• Bannatyne's Health Club Livingston

Big Events

The Edinburgh & Lothians area is packed full of events every year, from The Edinbugh Marathon to the BUPA Great Winter Run 5K, there are races all year round!

Race Profiles

• Kilomathon Scotland