Northgate Arena Monday and Thursday Runs
The Northgate Arena
runs have been organised since November 1995 around a friendly, mixed
ability group, with a bias towards beginners and female runners. There is no charge, though all
who attend regularly are encouraged to join West Cheshire AC for the benefits that membership provides, such as low race entry fees and access to club-only races. Guidance is given to those wishing to develop their running with the Tuesday night Cheshire County Sports Club runs or track sessions at Stanney (see adjoining links for more information).
The Monday run temporarily reverted to its original home at Cheshire County Sports Club in the second half of 2016, but moved back again to Northgate Arena in January 2016.
We meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 pm, to depart at 6:40 pm, in the reception area of the Northgate Arena Leisure Centre (CH2 2AU, junction of Victoria Road and inner ring road, St. Oswald’s Way). As the Arena is kind enough to let us congregate in this area, please bear in mind both members of the public and the Arena's receptionists. The Arena charges a small fee for use of showers, changing and lockers, and a £3 fee for use of the car park. Free parking is available after 6pm on Victoria Road, or at the Brook Street car park (free after 3pm) off St. Anne Street, which can be accessed via Black Diamond Street traffic lights on A56 Hoole Way.
The runs take about an hour, with several muster points to allow regrouping and thus ensure that no one is left behind. Modified routes are arranged for those wishing to gradually step up to the full route distance. Routes are chosen to avoid traffic as much as possible, using canal and river banks during summer and quieter suburban roads in winter. Schedules change in March/ April and September/ October depending on available light. Each route is used in rotation.
Click on Summer or Winter below for schedules, or individual Route for maps.
| For Summer 2016 | Route 1 | Route 2 | Route 3 | Route 4 | Route 5 |
| 6.67M | 5.53M | 4.23M+ | 6.05M | 6.88M | |
| Route 2a | Route 4a | Route 5a | |||
| 7.27M | 6.59M | 7.76M | |||
| Route 2b | Route 5b | ||||
| 5.73M | 8.16M | ||||
| For Winter 2016-2017 | Route 1 | Route 2 | Route 3 | Route 4 | Route 5 |
| 5.69M | 5.64M | 6.21M | 6M | 6.34M |
Contacts
Just turn up at the Northgate Arena as above and speak to Mike Lamb, who can be contacted on 0151 355 2520, or by selecting 'Road Running Training Northgate' via 'Contact Us' below.
There are sometimes also longer Sunday runs from the Cheshire County Sports Club, starting shortly after 7.30 am. Contact Vince Hodges, either via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page (select "RR Training Upton") or via the West Cheshire AC road running facebook pages.