It all started with a small card in the window of ‘Runaround’ a sports shop in Malvern Link near the Coop. It said something like ‘new running club, meet here at 7pm on Wednesday evenings’.
The shop has now gone, the building turned back into a private dwelling, but Ollie Green still has his shop, now called The Active Foot Company near the cathedral in Worcester and of course the Malvern Joggers is very much alive and prospering from these humble beginnings.
The first few years saw a hardy group of 12 to 15 joggers and on some cold and bleak nights just half a dozen of us heading off, jogging in and around Malvern. Ollie relocated to Worcester near Foregate Street Station and the shop then sold Bridal dresses.
We located to the Splash for a while and then onto the cricket club house near Barnards Green and then to the large windswept Morrison’s car park and then to the more salubrious location of Malvern St James Sports Hall. We are now based at the Malvern Rugby Club.
Thanks to Chris Barker who managed to get an article in the Malvern Gazette about the club the following week our attendance soared to about 30 runners. This must have been the critical mass needed and following the club membership grew exponentially to around 150 within a few years. The club was put onto a formal footing with England Athletics by Chris Barker and the newly formed committee on 2 July 2003.
During this time of growth the Joggers adventured to enjoy weekends away, and then into Europe. Curry nights, summer BBQ’s and the now infamous Christmas Party and Pubathalon. The Yacht Race was devised by Eric and is still a headline event each summer. In recent years the club has embraced the Couch to 5K scheme which is proving successful in attracting new joggers.
The club has successfully organised a 10k summer midweek race in June since 2009. Proceeds from this race support our charity of the year.