Cosy Sofa 2025

Ballymena Runners are delighted to offer another Cosy Sofa in January 2025.

The Cosy Sofa will start on Tuesday 14th January at 7.00pm in Lifestyle Fitness at Pennybridge. As with previous years the programme will be led by trained, experienced leaders with the support of experienced club members. Runs will start at 7pm each week.

The Cosy Sofa is a 9 week programme suitable for everyone. By the end of the 9 weeks you’ll be able to run for 30 minutes (or maybe do a 5k parkrun). Hundreds of people have completed our Cosy Sofa so come along and join us in January.

Joining

The fee is £25 for the 9 week programme. You will get:

  • 2 runs each week under the guidance of our experienced leaders

  • both runs fully supported by our experienced club members

  • a Ballymena Runners branded technical high viz T-shirt on completion of the programme (we take orders around week 6)

  • a Ballymena Runners medal on completion of the programme

  • a celebration and graduation evening to mark your achievement.

Registration opens on 24 November 2024 - REGISTER HERE.

The numbers will be capped to the first 100 applicants. You need to be aged 16 or over to take part.

Cosy Sofa Training Plan

The Cosy Sofa is a 9 week programme suitable for everyone. By the end of the 9 weeks you’ll be able to run for 30 minutes (or maybe do a 5k parkrun).

Who are Ballymena Runners and what’s the Cosy Sofa?

Ballymena Runners is a local community based running club with over 300 members of all abilities.  We firmly believe that running is for everyone and we support both the hares and the tortoises. The success of the club is all due to how we support each other. We have a large number of qualified and experienced Leaders and Coaches to support our runners. 

A key aim for the club is helping people who don’t run to start running – starting from the Cosy Sofa - to being able to run a Parkrun of 5km (about 3 miles). The Cosy Sofa programme aims to introduce people to running, get them interested in the ‘parkrun’ concept and consider joining us in Ballymena Runners. It's all about getting you to enjoy your run.  

We have ran many Cosy Sofa / Couch to 5k programmes to encourage people to take up running.  Running provides great physical exercise, benefits mental health and provides a welcoming social aspect.  The Cosy Sofa is a popular programme so we have to limit numbers to a maximum of 100.

What’s involved in the Cosy Sofa?

We know that getting out the door is the hardest step in the nine-week course. We also know that all the club members who help with this are there to make you feel good and you will be encouraged and supported throughout the entire program. 

You need to be injury free to start.  We will be progressing at a pace to suit absolutely everyone so please don’t think you need to be super fit to turn up and take part.

All we ask of you is that you complete each run in the program. That amounts to 3 runs per week.  On Tuesday night our leaders will take runners in small groups for their run.  Midweek runners will do their own run.  On Saturday our leaders will take runners on their run as part of a Parkrun at Ecos and/or The Fishermans Walk in Portglenone.  The runs are shown on the Cosy Sofa Training Plan .

If you’re wondering what to wear we have one simple rule - see and be seen. We would ask that everyone wear some high visibility clothing. If you have something that is reflective, wear it as well.

Dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Many runners this time of year use a waterproof jacket, hat and gloves. Visit our Running Safely page for more helpful tips.

All runs will be led by our experienced Leaders and supported by experienced club members many of whom have done the Cosy Sofa themselves.

When you complete the programme we will have a graduation ceremony where you will each receive a T-Shirt and a bite to eat.

For more information about our Cosy Sofa programme, contact us via ballymenarunners@hotmail.com

We run together.