Avon Tempo celebrating their first anniversary
Launching only in 2025, Avon Tempo has gone from strength to strength - adding huge value to Bristol's exciting running scene!
We were delighted to check in with co-founder and club chair, Chris Palmer, to learn all about his first twelve months in action and his big plans for the club going forward.
Creating an identity
Running across England is booming and it is incredible to see so many people enjoying the sport. In Chris' corner of the south west, his home city of Bristol has in fact been named 'Europe's running capital' with more clubs per person than any other city - so it's amazing to see how the club committee have managed to grow across the year.
Starting from an small idea, the club has grown to become an England Athletics affiliated club, with 40 consistent members and 100 consecutive sessions and counting. The committee sought to bridge the gap in Bristol between the casual running groups and those more focused on performance. They have also introduced a branded training kit available to all members, which really cements their presence in their local area - giving a real community identity.
The club have achieved this by creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, providing structured sessions suitable to all abilities and levels. Enabling even newer runners to kickstart their journey and enjoying progressing.
Based at Bitton AFC, the club operates two weeknight sessions - 'Tempo Tuesday' which is all about race prep and threshold work, whilst their 'Technique Thursdays' centre on speed, drills and hills to improve runners' form and efficiencies. The club are certainly doing something right, with two athletes earning an England vest, and 15+ personal best performances recorded since January 2026.
Reflecting on their outstanding achievements so far, Chris said:
“Our first year has been focused on proving that we can create a structured, ambitious training environment that can still feel welcoming and accessible for all abilities.
“There are some fantastic running clubs across Bristol. Creating our own was incredibly exciting, because we felt there was ample room for a club that sits between purely social running and traditional athletics environments. The only real requirement to members is a willingness to turn up and give it a go."
England Athletics Club Support Manager, Richard Ayling, has been supporting the club throughout their affiliation journey across the last year.
"I initially supported the club through Club Standards as part of their affiliation requirement and they have since gone from strength to strength. It is exciting to see a club striving to improve and they have some fantastic plans for the future - from potentially delivering a licenced race and raising their presence across social media channels."
Exploring what Bristol has to offer
One of the best things about running is being able to get out and explore your locality on foot, especially on routes where cars or public transport can not reach. This is something which Avon Tempo have taken upon themselves to implement into session planning, making the best use of the footpaths on their doorstep.
“The railway path has become central to who we are as a club. It gives us a really unique environment where runners can fully focus on their session, whether that’s hitting threshold reps, building back after injury or working on technique, without constantly stopping for roads or traffic.”
Join the first birthday celebrations!
To celebrate its first anniversary, Avon Tempo is inviting the wider community to join a social taster run, meeting at The Bird in Hand, Saltford on 4th June at 6:45pm.
The 5k route, open to all paces and abilities, will follow a scenic stretch of the Bristol & Bath Railway Path before returning to the Bird in Hand for food and drinks.
To get involved in the event, or for more information on Avon Tempo, please email avontempo@gmail.com or follow @AvonTempo on social media to join one of the Tuesday or Thursday weeknight sessions.