MERC stands for Multi Ethnic Running Club. Our vision is to bring communities together through running, regardless of background, fitness level, or experience. Victory Through Diversity is our motto.

No — we are a Community Interest Company (CIC), a not-for-profit organisation. A CIC has more flexibility than a charity to engage in community, charitable, and social projects while raising funds through memberships, merchandise, sponsors, and grants. Our constitution prevents any profit extraction. Read more: gov.uk/set-up-a-social-enterprise

Funds are separated by how they were raised. Fundraiser money is ring-fenced to the nominated cause — e.g., HARP24 funds go to HARP. Membership fees and donations cover running costs, with surplus reinvested into growing the club. We don't dilute cause-specific funds with operating costs.

When funds are raised for a specific cause, nearly all of it reaches them — minus a small card processing fee (typically 1–2%, standard for any payment processor). We pay no salaries, so there's no internal dilution. If you raise �10 for HARP, approximately �9.80–�9.90 reaches them directly. We'll publish full impact reports as the club grows.

Every session is led by a local Captain. Sessions are capped at 45 minutes with scheduled rest breaks. Captains run at a steady, conversational pace — no one gets left behind. It's about showing up and connecting with people, not hitting a personal best.

Absolutely not. MERC is for the average person, not the elite athlete. Whether you haven't run in years or you're a complete beginner, you belong here. The pace is set to support everyone in the group.

Each local area has a Captain who leads their MERC group. You'll be matched with a captain in your area and introduced to fellow members. Captains organise their own run schedules and routes. Members can also join multiple groups and organise casual runs between themselves — the structure is community-driven and flexible.

Yes. You can join any group and are welcome to join multiple groups. We'll typically match you with a local captain first, but you have complete freedom to connect with other members and captains wherever they are.

We don't offer child memberships, but children are welcome on runs as guests of an adult member acting as their parent or guardian. The adult member takes full responsibility for the child's wellbeing. See our policies for full details.

Yes — anyone aged 18 or over can join. We welcome all backgrounds, fitness levels, and abilities. Under-18s can run with us as guests of an adult member.

Annual membership is �20.00, starting from the date you register. We also run promotional deals and group discounts — check our store for the latest.

All new members receive an official MERC club shirt. You also get: access to your local group and captain, the MERC app, the points & rewards system, event access, and our growing network of affiliations. See the Benefits page for the full list.

MERC was founded in September 2024. We're a start-up CIC with ambitious plans. Features like the full rewards store and certain affiliate benefits are still being built. The core app, membership, and club structure are fully operational — we're transparent about what's live and what's in development.

No one at MERC currently receives a salary or dividends. Being a Captain is a community leadership role with non-financial benefits, including evidence of leadership for CV and job applications.

You must be a MERC member first. Then apply through the registration page or Captains page. Your application is reviewed by the team. If approved, you'll be set up with your own local group. Read the Captain Policy before applying.