The club was founded in 1983 by Brian Rider, Peter Hickman and Mary Poynter (now Amos). The three didn’t know each other beforehand — they met at a New Year’s Eve party.
On 20 February 1983, 18 runners met at the Thorley Place Hotel for a Sunday morning run. The club hired the hotel’s upstairs lounge, where runners and often their families relaxed with a drink afterwards.
By the end of that first summer there were 74 members. Today there are more than 300, with triathlon, junior running and junior triathlon sections.
Traditions
Many of the club’s traditions started in that first year, including the awards dinner and the Stortford 10 — now the Stort 10 and 5.
In 1984 the club adopted its green and gold vests and started the Wednesday evening social run, which is still the heart of the club.
Remembering members
- The Tony Pitman Trophy was first awarded in 1989, the year after his death.
- The Reg Tansley Relay is named after one of the original members, who was the club’s oldest member from the start. He died in 2008.
- The Christine Robinson Tinsel Run was named in 2021, after one of the club’s founding members.