TRAINING RUNS

We start running at 18:30 sharp on Tuesdays, taking in some of the finest hillsides and mountains of south Wales, spending time both on and off trails. We usually split into two groups —‘fast’ and ‘steady’—with a further ‘slower paced’ group on certain dates throughout the summer (see the calendar below).

If you haven’t been before, contact our Membership Secretary Richard at info@runmdc.org.uk to let us know you’d like to come. Read about MDC and our Committee members.

Please join our Facebook group for the latest updates on when and where we’re running.

Where do you run?

See our winter calendar below for Tuesday night training runs from October 2026 – March 2027. We visit a different spot each week – mainly in the valleys or the Bannau Brycheiniog and occasionally the coast.

Many people in MDC are based in and around Cardiff, but we also have members further west towards Swansea, east towards the English border, and north in the Bannau Brycheiniog.

When should I come?

If you’re new to fell running, croeso (welcome)! This means we run off road, but we’re a little different to trail running. Come and join us to see what it’s all about! We would recommend starting on one of our summer runs. We encourage you to try running in the daytime before running with a headtorch in the winter. You can read more information for beginners on the Welsh Fell Runners Association (WFRA) website.

If you already have experience, feel free to join us at any time of the year.

How far do you run?

Tuesday night runs are usually in the region of 9-12km, and are always off-road. Slower-paced runs are shorter outings, usually around 6-7km. We start running at 18:30 sharp and finish at around 20:00 so we can get to a local pub for food on time.

What do I need to bring?

Running in the hills and mountains comes with some inherent risks. Remember that we aren’t just running around the local park – we are often in upland, hilly and remote environments in the evenings. You are responsible for your own safety – this is a core part of fell running.

Year-round, please bring:

• • Fell running shoes with decent grip (or trail running shoes depending on the location)
  • Enough layers to keep yourself warm and waterproofs as needed
  • A basic first aid kit
  • Mobile phone
  • Other kit and provisions as appropriate for the weather and your needs (e.g. water, food, suncream)
  • One person in the group should carry a group shelter and first aid kit

For our winter schedule (October-March), please bring the additional kit:

• • Waterproof top
  • Waterproof bottoms
  • Hat
  • Gloves
  • Whistle
  • Headtorch (main)
  • Headtorch (spare – failures do happen!)
  • We also recommend bringing an individual bivvy bag or similar (e.g. Blizzard jacket)

If you have an accident, it will take a few hours to get you off the hill during which time you will get very cold not moving. You shouldn’t rely on able bodied people to give up their clothes. Please do not turn up to our runs with no/little kit. Mountaineering Scotland have a great 10 minute video (‘Hill running safety tips‘) which shows how cold three hill runners get in different levels of kit when they are stationary.

Please always ask us for kit advice if you’re unsure about anything! Dr Alan Stone, our Safety Officer, has written a blog about what might be a useful basic first aid kit for a runner in the hills. You might also want to bring an ‘In Case of Emergency’ (ICE) card with relevant contact details. You can use this template to make your own ICE card. We recommend laminating it.

Remember that for fell races, there is a mandatory ‘full kit’ list which you always need to bring (waterproof top and bottoms, hat, gloves, whistle, map, compass).

Will I be able to keep up?

We usually split into two groups – ‘fast’ and ‘steady’. Every few weeks during the summer we also have a ‘slower paced’ group which covers a shorter distance and is suitable for recent newcomers, those recovering from illness or injury and anyone who just fancies a more leisurely outing. Depending on numbers, we sometimes stay as one group.

No-one will be left behind in any group. Fell running can feel hard at first but we’d encourage you to give it a go and keep coming (the hills do get gradually easier over time!)

How do I get to the training runs?

In the UK, transport is the sector with the largest climate impact. The impact of fell running is small, but due to the nature of fell running, we often run in remote locations so travel is an important consideration. You can travel to our training runs using:

• • Public transport and active travel: Some of our runs can be reached by sustainable forms of transport with a number of valleys train lines close to the start of our runs. Winter runs from Taff’s Well are easily accessible by train (very regular trains which run late into the evening) or cycling.
  • Car sharing: We strongly encourage car sharing. This is usually organised through our Facebook group a few days before the next run. Worst case scenario, we usually manage to find a burnt-out old banger somewhere along the route!

The Welsh Fell Runners Association (WFRA) has an annual Environment Awards which recognises the actions individual fell runners are taking to make their fell running activities more sustainable (Individual Award), and Race Organisers who are leading the way in making their fell races more sustainable (Race Organiser Award). Make sure to share your actions with us so we can nominate you!