VISION & VALUES
Orchard Eagles Running Club is a welcoming, friendly and inclusive running club, which embraces runners of all abilities
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We support and encourage each other to achieve our goals in a healthy, positive way, empowering runners to challenge themselves.
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We celebrate and value all individual and team achievements and love to cheer each other on in person, online, at club and in events.
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We are a family: we are there for each other through good and bad times, offering a helping hand and encouraging words.
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We are passionate about running and making club sessions fun and motivational. Organised runs include a mix of speed, hills and distance, as well as varying routes with road and trail to keep things interesting.
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We learn and grow through our shared experience and leave no runner behind. We inspire each other.
Our History
We are a thriving club in the local area with over 100 members. As well as having members from Eaglescliffe, we also have members from Yarm, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Ingleby Barwick, Nunthorpe and Redcar!
In July 2014 Orchard Eagles Running Club was born with 8 founding members, Training sessions started at Allen’s West during the winter and then moved to the Oakwood Centre for the summer months. In the summer of 2015 an article about Orchard Eagles featured in Runner’s World magazine. Then finally, by autumn of that year, Orchard Eagles became an affiliated club and an official board was formed.
Member numbers increased and we welcomed running leaders Anita and Michelle. Starting locations of runs expanded with a move to Orchard Community Centre and The Eagle – places we continue to meet at every week to this day.
In August 2016, the very first cohort of ‘Beginners’ graduated by completing a non-stop 5k run after a ten week course. The success of this course meant that it is usually held on an annual basis and is always in high demand with abundant positive feedback received throughout. To complement this, in 2024, we have just held our first, and very successful, eight week return to running course.
During the pandemic, OERC supported its members by adapting to the changing national picture. A variety of activities kept members motivated throughout this challenging time. Since the pandemic we are embracing being able to run in groups of more than 6 people again and have started offering a variety of sessions not only from Eaglescliffe, but also from different local locations and using some of the local trails members explored in lockdown. From time to time we mix up the training plan with 10k and fast mile training programmes, cross country training, and even sand dune training.
In addition to the weekly club runs, members take part in lots of road, trial and ultra events all over the country, and beyond. Every week there is a member somewhere taking part in an event! Regular local events we take part in include the Middlesbrough 10k, the Great North Run, the Yorkshire running festival, Cross Country, Ormesby Hall monthly 10K, as well as the many local parkruns. The club is frequently well-represented at the Hardmoors events, be it the 26.2 series or the ultramarathons.
We are pleased to have multiple running leaders as well as a trained running coach who offer a wide variety of runs to our ever increasing number of members. The running club is more than just running in events though – many friendships have been forged pounding the pavements and stomping up a trail together.