Bendigo's running clubs: more than fitness, a community on the move

The sun had barely cleared the tops of the Rosalind Park oaks when the first group of runners gathered at the Conservatory Gardens on Saturday morning. They were there for the Bendigo Marathon Club’s weekly long run, a fixture that has become a cornerstone for hundreds of local runners.

Across town, coaches at the Bendigo University Athletics Club were putting junior squads through drills on the track at La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus. At Lake Weeroona, walkers and joggers filled the path as the first parkrun participants crossed the finish line.

Running and fitness events in Bendigo are thriving-and the people who organise them say it’s about more than personal bests. After the disruption of recent years, local clubs are rebuilding community as much as fitness.

Numbers on the rise

Bendigo Marathon Club president Jane Miller told The Daily Bendigo that membership hit 320 this year, up from 215 in 2024. The club now runs three coached sessions a week-Tuesday intervals at the Tom Flood Sports Centre, Thursday tempo runs along the Bendigo Creek trail, and the Saturday long run.

“The interest has been incredible,” Miller said. “People are coming for the running, but they stay for the sense of belonging. We have everyone from first-time 5km runners to experienced marathoners training for Melbourne or Sydney.”

The club’s annual Bendigo Marathon, held in April on a course that loops past the Gold Mines Hotel and through the Epsom industrial estate, registered 1,400 entrants this year-a record for the event.

Clubs responding to demand

Bendigo University Athletics Club has seen a similar surge. Head coach Brendan Thomas says numbers in the club’s “Come and Try” program have doubled compared to last year. The club runs its sessions at the La Trobe University track on Edwards Road, and has expanded its evening program to accommodate shift workers.

“We’re getting people who’ve never run before, people in their 40s and 50s who want something low-impact, and families looking for something to do together,” Thomas said. “It’s not about the stopwatch for them-it’s about being part of something.”

Parkrun Bendigo, held every Saturday at 8am on the Lake Weeroona course, regularly attracts more than 250 participants. Event director Sarah Brown said the numbers have stabilised at about 30 percent higher than pre-2020 levels.

“The social aspect is huge,” Brown said. “People walk or jog together, grab a coffee from the kiosk after, and have a chat. It’s become a really important part of people’s weekend routine.”

Local running stores have also noticed the trend. The Running Company on Pall Mall reports that group training programs it runs-including a four-week “Couch to 5km” that begins at the store and moves to the Bendigo Botanical Gardens-have sold out for four consecutive intakes.

What’s next for runners

The growing interest has prompted clubs to plan new offerings. Bendigo Marathon Club will launch a six-week beginner program in August, held on Sundays around Lake Neangar. Bendigo University Athletics Club is setting up a Wednesday evening trail-run group using the O’Keefe Rail Trail and the bush tracks near the Bendigo Racecourse.

Both clubs are also coordinating with the City of Greater Bendigo on improving shared-path signage and lighting along the Bendigo Creek trail, a key east-west corridor used by many runners.

For anyone looking to join, the advice from club leaders is simple: turn up. Miller says the Saturday morning group at the Conservatory Gardens always includes someone who will pace you, answer questions, and point you to the right Facebook group.

“You don’t need a certain pace. You don’t need expensive gear. You just need to show up,” she said. “We’ll take it from there.”