Our Club

Welcome to Radcliffe Athletic Club!

We are proud to have been established for 40 years, training, supporting and encouraging runners of all abilities.

At our club you are guaranteed a warm welcome, plenty of support and the opportunity to make friends with like-minded people.

The club is based at Bury Livingwaters Church (Close Methodist), Dumers Lane, Radcliffe, M26 2GB. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7pm-8.30pm.

There is a choice of training sessions, from beginners through to competition racing.

On Mondays there is normally a 5/6.5km run and two 10km runs, based on ability and choice, for adults (age 16 and over). Each group has a run leader to oversee the session and provide support.

On Wednesdays we alternate between a hill session, which leaves from the club, and a track session at Bury Track, Market Street, Bury, BL9 9FX. 

There are also strength and conditioning sessions at the club at 7pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Our juniors (ages eight to 16) meet at the club at 7pm on Mondays.

Latest News

Radcliffe AC hosts annual 5k trail race  
19/07/2026 11:51 PM
 

This Wednesday saw Radcliffe AC host their highly anticipated annual 5km trail race.  

Paul Stevens, the club’s Race Director, shared the following - “I was proud of our fantastic club volunteers cheering on runners at every corner with many others helping with planning in the weeks and days leading up to the event. Members gladly gave their time and effort in helping to ensure another successful race benefiting from the club’s renowned enthusiasm and atmosphere. With over 200 runners signed up, the conditions of one of the hottest evenings of the year so far did not stop many achieving course PBs. This challenging route set off from Sedgley Park Rugby Club before heading through Philips Park, with the course famous for its “Heartbreak Hill” testing runners in the in the last 1km segment before a final sprint finish back towards the rugby club. We are already looking forward to welcoming runners to our next race, a trail half marathon held on 31 October.” 

 
Members also took part in the race with Khama Banda the first finisher for RAC in a phenomenal 18:46, followed by Michael Aiken (21:17), Neil Greenhalgh (23:20), Cameron Sharples (24:30), Paula Abernethy (26:25) (2nd FV60) Tyler Waddington (28:29), David Bartlett (28:51), Dominic Parry (29:23), Helen Kay (37:19), Nikki Anderson (45:05) and tail runner Caroline Malone (45:10). 

Junior Grace ran her 25th parkrun at Clarence Park this week – well done Grace! Sara Parry also completed her 200th parkrun at Heaton Park, with an impressive 275 total parkruns.  

Khama Banda put in yet another solid performance at the Stockport 10k, whizzing round the course in just 36:09. 

The latest Run the Moors fixture took place on Saturday, Turnslack, a category BM 12.9km fell race in Calderbrook with 610m of climb. Runners faced climb after climb and stretches of technical moorland with many tricky descents. Chris Mihalyi was the first to conquer the final ascent and subsequent dash up the church steps to the finish line and awaiting pot noodle cup full of squash in 1:47:30. Other results included Mark Garner (1:55:47), Lucie Tighe (1:58:55), Jack Connor (2:21:00), Stephen Crowe (2:22:32), Karen Doherty (2:23:44), Charlotte Holden-Malone (2:54:12) and Ethan Malone (2:54:13).  

 
Kath Biddle also racked up some more serious mileage this weekend, taking on the Castle to Castle 36 Mile Ultra, a point-to-point race from Clitheroe Castle to Lancaster Castle. The route took runners through the Ribble Valley and Trough of Bowland with over 4,500 feet of ascent, with Kath finishing in 8:25:20. 

 

Radcliffe AC takes on the trails
12/07/2026 11:55 PM

 

Ian Swan of Radcliffe AC kicked off a very trail and fell-heavy week for the club on Wednesday at the Stoodley Pike Fell Race, completing the 5k dash up to the landmark in 24th place in 26:42.
 
On Saturday, Ian Swan, Neil Greenhalgh and Donna Cartwright joined Holcombe Harriers members on the Andy Haines Memorial Round, a challenging 32 mile fell route created by members of Holcombe Harriers to celebrate the life of Andy, who sadly passed away in November 2024 while out running with Harriers. Andy also previously ran for Radcliffe and is fondly remembered by members of both local clubs.
 
 
14 members braved the tough hot and humid conditions on the same day for the latest in the club’s championship series, the Tolkien Trail race, an 11.1k route described as “following J.R.R Tolkien's footsteps through the enchanting woods and epic scenery that inspired the stories of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". Neil Swithenbank was the first back for the club and the 24th overall in 55:56, followed by Andrew O’Donnell(1:06:48), Simon Foulkes (1:07:03), Karen Doherty (1:14:36), Stephen Crowe (1:17:51), Kathryn Davies (1:18:45), Ken Smith (1:19:36), Sheila Jones (1:22:44) (1st FV70), Daniel Hunt (1:22:50), John Szubert (1:23:50), Graham Beales (1:39:59), Helen Kay (1:39:59), Tracy Wroe (1:51:12) and Caroline Malone (1:51:12).
 
Kathryn Davies also belatedly celebrated her recent 250th parkrun.
 
Back out for a second day on the trot at Race the Train on Sunday, John Szubert completed the point to point 11 Mile trail route from Bury to Rawtenstall in 1:59:59 and Daniel Hunt in 2:00:00.
 
Junior Lexi hit the beach for the Blackpool Summer Run, smashing the 5k in 22:01.
 
Members also headed to Ambleside for the Lakelands Trails Series. The various distanced routes in the brutal heat of the day all boasted breathtaking scenery, relentless climbs and often difficult terrain. This was Mark Garner’s first ultra, and he battled the 55k in 11:52:13. Chris Mihalyi put in a fantastic effort on the 23k in 2:56:50, followed by duo Amanda Callan and Laura Aiken in 3:56:55 and finally Mark Taylor, Lisa “Mrs Motivator” Antrobus, Lucie TIghe, Charlene Leyden and Sarah WIlson in 4:49:34. Peter Warr also enjoyed the day’s 14k in 2:21:37
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Radcliffers go quackers after course detour at Puddleducks ‘15k’
5/07/2026 11:29 PM

This Monday kicked off with one of the writer’s favourite races of the year, the Tor Mile, hosted by Ramsbottom Running Club. This challenging clamber up (and fun bum-shuffle down) the Tor in Helmshore is one of the UK’s oldest fell races, with both a senior race and a shorter 1k junior race.  

For the junior race, Rowan was first back for the club in just 12:54, followed by George (13:04), Millie (13:09), Byron (13:36), Erin (14:01), Lola (14:08), Grace (14:29) Poppy (17:23), Isla (17:36), Skyler (18:05) Benjamin (18:36), Gracie (19:34) and Alexandra (19:36). 

In the senior race, Jack Porter flew back down the Tor in just 16 minutes, followed by  Lucie Tighe (18:43), Paul Stevens (19:08), Ethan Holden-Malone (21:12), Karen Doherty (22:20), Sharon Bowden (22:25), Lisa Antrobus (22:34), Kathryn Davis (22:54), Dominic Parry (23:26), Peter Warr (23:53), WIlliam (24:10), Charlotte Holden-Malone (24:16), Elaine Bailey (26:12), Ella Henry (26:20), and Michael Scott (33:47). 

On Tuesday, Caroline Malone hit the Mobberley ‘Round the Runway’ 5 Mile race around Manchester Airport’s Runway 2, completing the course in 1:08.  

On the same day, Tracy Wroe, Paula Abernethy, Kathryn Davies, Stephen Crowe, Sheila Jones, Karen Doherty, Lucie Tighe and juniors Benjamin and Gracie took part in this week’s SELOC Urban Trails orienteering race round the streets of Farnworth, hitting 14/15 checkpoints in an hour.  

Next up, Ian Swan’s first race of the week was the 16th finisher at the Cragg Vale Fell Race on Wednesday, a 4.16 mile course with 800 feet of ascent, in a time of 37:12.  

 

On Sunday Kath Biddle took part in Endure 24 Leeds held in historic Bramham Park. This 24 hour trail running event saw runners complete as many 8k laps as possible, with Kath knocking out an impressive 17 for a total of 85 miles in 23:18:09.   

 

Four members raced the Lyme Half Marathon, a trail race closer to 14 miles with over 2,000 feet of elevation with little visibility and off and on rain throughout the course. Ian Swan delivered another fantastic result, coming in 25th place, in 2:02:59, followed by Christopher Mihalyi (2:09:28), Donna Cartwight (fourth lady and second FV40 in 2:13:44,) and Andrew O’Donnell (2:25:16). 

 
Emma Wolstencroft raced through the dunes for the Bridlington Beach 5k, finishing in a great time of 29:26 despite the challenge of running through sand.  

 

The last race of the report is the somewhat eventful Puddleducks 15k trail race. Unfortunately, the organisers didn’t quite get all their ducks in a row and most runners were sent completely off course with runners racking up half marathons and more, sent for an unplanned out and back before being chased down by a vehicle and redirected to the correct route. As the timing mat was removed before most of the club’s runners were back and with vastly varying distances, it is not possible to report on the times. However, Kathryn Davis, Peter Warr, Chemane Thomas, Daniel Hunt, John Szubert, Elaine Bailey, Karen Doherty, Lisa Antrobus, Rebecca Chambers-Nolan and Mark Garner are just about ready to laugh about the whole adventure and deserve special mention for their efforts.