About Us - Orpington's Friendliest Running
Club
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Modest Beginnings
Orpington Road Runners was
formed in 1985 by David Cross with Gillian and Alan Else, with
the idea to attract like minded people who wanted to run together on a Tuesday evening.
This was at the time of the first great running "boom" - the London Marathon was
attracting new participants to the sport. In the early days, only ten or so people gathered under a lamppost
outside a local pub. No lavish changing facilities to
offer, just an opportunity to gather and enjoy a
modest Tuesday night run!
The Club ethos has always been one of
fellowship; very few rules
and entry requirements. Serious runners joined
Blackheath Harriers; if you just
wanted a run and a chat then Orpington Road
Runners was right up your street! After a year or two we became 'official'
and affiliated to county and national athletics associations. This enabled our members to get cheaper race entries
and the discounts on running kit. A Committee was formed and a modest annual subscription
(£3!) was charged
but we were determined to keep the Club friendly and welcoming.
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s we've
continued to grow, but have always met for a
Tuesday night run.
Present Day
Running has become increasingly popular during
the 2000s and this is reflected in our current
size. The founding members of our nearest club,
Petts Wood Runners, were formerly Orpington
Road Runners and we maintain a good relationship
with them. We also have friendly competitions
with neighbouring and similar-sized clubs, such
as New Eltham Joggers.
Club membership now stands at nearly
250 paid-up members, with regular weekly
attendances of close to 100 Yellow Shirts, or
near-members - who are perhaps trying the club out for
a couple of weeks before deciding whether to
sign-up! Swarms of yellow shirts departing
from the same site near the Buff P.H. every
Tuesday are a common site for those in the area!
We still attract new members. It's getting
difficult to put names to all the faces! The Club provides a great running experience to its members.
Our attendance and performance times in events, has improved quite considerably over the last few years.
 Our main aims remain - simply - to provide safe, interesting and challenging
running, together with advice and most
importantly companionship whenever we meet.
Our Mantra!
Perhaps this sums us up the best, seen here on
one of our hugely-popular Club mugs:
Governance
To comply with UK Athletics rules, the
club has a Committee which meets quarterly. We
also hold an AGM, usually in the Autumn. For
details of the current Committee, including
roles and contact details, follow this
link.
Safety Matters
All sporting and leisure activities have
inherent hazards associated with them, and
running is no exception. Check out the following
key safety messages that we encourage all to
follow at this
link.
Frequently Asked
Questions
 What,
you mean this introduction is not comprehensive
enough? OK, follow this
link to learn more...
... and you like what you see? Then why
not join us! Send off the
Membership
Application Form! Then in addition
to joining one of the friendliest clubs around,
you'll get discounted race entry to most races,
and also access to the following
benefits...
... and remember, you're not a proper Road Runner
unless you wear our distinctively stylish
kit...!
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ORR Online!
Judging by the number of mobile phone cameras
and GPS devices that are seen on our regular
runs, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that
many Road Runners are 'geeks' and can be found
online. But its all done in the spirit of
fellowship and fun, ... here is where you can
find us:
Our Club Website
(www.orprunners.com)
Peter Clinch, a Road Runner almost from the outset and also the first Treasurer, created this website in the early 2000s
to enhance the awareness of the Club in the local community and to provide a forum for news, information and ideas.
In September 2007 Peter moved to Eastbourne but he will always have a
place under the Lamppost and a great number of current Road Runners can thank
Peter for making the Club's existence known to them.
Today, through the website we continue to promote the many and varied running
opportunities available locally and attempt (!) to highlight the rich history and
heritage of the Kent area.
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Our Discussion Forum
(http://orpingtonroadrunners.freeforums.org/index.php)
Since 2006, Road Runners have wasted countless hours in a lively but private
online discussion board site, which
boasts hundreds of posts on
all subjects under the sun, and sometimes even about running!
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Our Photo Website
(www.flickr.com/orpingtonroadrunners)
Since mid-2007, much of the Club's photographic heritage, spanning some twenty years,
can be browsed on this site. During 2008
this site has expanded and we now Road
Runners often directly upload photos to
this site from events they have taken
part in across the country and even
beyond!
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If you still have questions...
You can submit a question to us using this
form.
We'll aim to get back to you as soon as we can!
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