Birmingham Swifts

About Birmingham Swifts

Birmingham Swifts is an LGBTQ+ inclusive running club founded to provide a welcoming, supportive space for LGBTQ+ runners while remaining open to allies and all abilities. The club runs a weekly Thursday evening social run (with pre-run bag drop and post-run social at The Fox pub), runs beginner 'Starting Out' (Couch to 5K) programmes, attends local parkruns on Saturdays, and organises occasional longer non-led Sunday runs. Sessions are led by England Athletics–qualified run leaders/coaches and the club supports visually impaired runners via guide runners (advance notice requested). The culture is social, inclusive, and community-focused with an emphasis on safety (insured leaders), accessibility for beginners, and post-run socialising.

Run Details

What to Expect

Arrive at Pagoda Island for the Thursday start (bag drop and changing at The Fox beforehand). Runs are led by qualified leaders, are inclusive of all paces (walkers to faster runners), and typically finish with a social at The Fox. For 'Starting Out' expect a progressive 10–12 week plan aimed at reaching 5 km. Bookings for Thursday sessions are managed via RunTogether/ClubSpark and the club asks attendees to complete a Membership Form with emergency contact details.

Leadership

Sessions are led by England Athletics–qualified run leaders/coaches who are insured. The club provides guide runners for visually impaired participants with advance notice. No individual leader names are listed in the provided sources.