The Coffee Run Norwich: Runs Fuelled by Friendship, Support and Coffee!

The running community across Norwich is growing by the day.

And, because of this, running has become more than just an exercise: it’s a social event and a way to make new connections (and, of course, treat yourself to a coffee and cake afterwards!).

Whether you’re attending ParkRun for the first time, training for a marathon, or going for a jog with your best friend, everyone runs for a reason: to clear your mind, improve your physical health, raise money for a charity, meet friends (the list goes on!).

I recently caught up with The Coffee Run Norwich, a social run club that is aimed at young people across the city. The group, which welcomes all paces, hosts a range of social runs, interval sessions, collaborations and fundraisers.

I spoke to Noemi Nemes, the Founder of The Coffee Run Norwich, to discover the journey of the running club, the benefits running can have on our lives and how the club celebrates the beauty of the sport!

When did The Coffee Run Norwich begin?

I set up the run club in February 2024 having moved to Norwich in August 2023 from London.

I was inspired by the social run clubs in London and tried to find something similar in Norwich as a means of meeting people (as I feel this is so hard as an adult with a full time job!) but was struggling so thought I’d try to set something up myself.

At first it was super slow to take off, and I didn’t think it would necessarily go anywhere but now we have just over 500 members in our Whatsapp group, over 2000 Instagram followers and the nicest community which is just crazy!

Who can join your run club?

I aimed it at ‘young’ people in Norwich but there aren’t any hard or fast rules really!

The ages probably range from about 18-55 years old, as long as you’re up for a laugh and supportive of the rest of the members that’s all that counts, age is just a number anyway!

When do you host your sessions? And how are these structured?

We have 3 main sessions each week.

Alternating Monday/Tuesday evenings are our social runs which are typically around 5km at a ~6.30min/km pace, the motto of these runs is that no one gets left behind, so is great for those new to running or just fancy a more chilled, social run in each week. These runs always end at a pub which will vary week on week.

On Wednesdays we run interval sessions, typically at Carrow Road in autumn/winter and Henderson Track when the lighter evenings arrive. These are led by Marcus who is a run coach (as well as a fantastic runner), so have a bit more structure perhaps for those with specific races to train for but again are suitable for all as everyone can take these at their own pace.

On Saturday mornings we join a parkrun in Norwich (or sometimes further afield in Norfolk or Suffolk!) and normally head for a coffee following this.

We sometimes also do a long Sunday morning run followed by a coffee too! We try to collaborate with local/independent coffee shops as well as some other local businesses who offer group sessions e.g. yoga, pilates and Padel.

Is there a fee to join?

Not at all, I have always believed that running should be free and accessible to all, so I don’t ever want this to be a barrier to anyone being part of our community!

Some sessions may require a small fee to cover hire, for example the use of the UEA track for some intervals sessions.

Describe the community at Coffee Run Norwich in three words!

Inclusive, welcoming and supportive :)

What do you love most about the running community across Norwich?

I love how the running community has grown over the last couple of years; there are multiple new social run clubs popping up which all provide a slightly different experience depending on what people are looking for and when they are available which I think is great.

Hopefully it’ll get more people out running and meeting like-minded people!

How important is the relationship between exercise and our mental and physical health?

I think we can all say that - despite some aches! - we tend to feel better after going out on a run, even if we’ve had a long day at work or we aren’t that up for it initially.

I think the social aspect of exercising with others and hanging out for a coffee and chat gives you even more of a serotonin boost!

The running itself is one aspect, but the doors it opens for people to make new friends or become more active in other areas as a result is another great benefit to exercising in a group like ours.

Running has become extremely popular over the last couple of years due to people online documenting their running journey. How important has social media been to the growth of your club?

Super important! I’ve basically grown it from scratch purely on Instagram and WhatsApp.

The growth has been bigger than I could have ever imagined, it’s really snowballed from people sharing to their friends and spreading the word.

We have collaborated with lots of local businesses via social media too and met some amazing people!

Of course, there is a lot of misuse of social media and a lot of toxicity in the fitness realm, but I’d like to say we have a positive platform that not only has the purpose of growing our community but supporting and sharing members’ success!

Many people shy away from running due to their lack of experience – how does Coffee Run Norwich help to tackle this?

I’d like to say that our community welcomes those new to running with open arms, we often receive messages from potential newcomers worried about keeping up with the group, as I mentioned before we do really strive to keep all of our sessions inclusive and open to people of all abilities, but equally if we feel perhaps another run club might provide to their needs better we have no qualms in directing people towards the other wonderful run clubs that exist!

I don’t think anyone really bats an eyelid as to what gear people have or what they wear, as long as they come along and are friendly and enthusiastic that’s all that matters here.

How does Coffee Run Norwich allow people to work on their personal goals while joining a welcoming community that celebrates running?

I think some of this comes from the variety in the sessions we host.

For example, the intervals perhaps cater more for those trying to increase their speed for a certain race but at the same time are perfectly suitable for someone just wanting to get out on a run on a Wednesday evening, you still get the same cheer at the end of your 400m lap of the track!

We are really supportive of our members getting involved in events and races and help them achieve their goals, whatever that may involve.

Do you have any plans for 2026?

I plan to keep growing our community and seeing our members flourish in their running and beyond.

I’d love to keep organising fun events and collaborations to engage with the amazing wellness community and network of coffee shops that we have here in Norfolk, we certainly have some exciting plans coming up already!

To keep up to date with the brilliant work of The Coffee Run Norwich, you can head to their Instagram (@thecoffeerunnorwich)!