Sport in Cheltenham
A guide to sport in Cheltenham: the professional clubs, parkrun, and local running, cycling, hiking and climbing groups.
Sport in Cheltenham
Cheltenham has one professional club of its own, a Premiership rugby side on its doorstep, and a strong grassroots scene — from parkrun’s free weekly 5ks to running, cycling, hiking and climbing clubs for every level.
Professional and Semi-Professional Clubs
Cheltenham Town FC
Cheltenham’s own professional football club, “The Robins”, play in EFL League Two at Whaddon Road. See our Cheltenham Town FC page for the next fixture, recent results and how to get to the ground.
Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester Rugby play in the Gallagher Premiership — England’s top flight of rugby union — at Kingsholm Stadium, a few miles up the road in Gloucester rather than Cheltenham itself, but close enough to be the local top-flight side for most of the county.
Cheltenham Town Women
Cheltenham Town Women play in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division — the third tier of the English women’s football pyramid — sharing Bishops Cleeve FC’s Kayte Lane ground just north of Cheltenham.
Parkrun and Grassroots Running
Cheltenham has four parkrun events — free, weekly, timed runs open to everyone. See our Cheltenham parkrun page for locations and a map.
Beyond parkrun, Cheltenham has several running clubs for regular training and racing:
- Cheltenham & County Harriers → the town’s long-established athletics and running club, training from Prince of Wales Stadium.
- Cheltenham Running and Walking Club → an inclusive running and walking club for all abilities, from Couch to 5k up to sub-18-minute 5k runners.
- CLC Striders → an inclusive and competitive running club training from the CLC Health & Fitness Centre.
- Almost Athletes → Cheltenham’s largest running club, for runners of all abilities.
Cycling
- Cheltenham & County Cycling Club → a road, mountain bike and gravel club with around 300 members, running its own road race, time trial series, hill climb series and cyclocross races.
- Cheltenham Cycling Touring Club (CTC) → a friendly, relaxed club affiliated to Cycling UK, with group rides across the week for all riders.
- Woodmancote Wheelers → a social road cycling club based just north of Cheltenham, with Classic and faster-paced Velo group rides.
Hiking and Walking
- Cheltenham Rambling Club → an independent local walking club with walks of 4 to 14 miles.
- Cheltenham Spa Walkers → Cheltenham’s local group of the Ramblers, Britain’s walking charity.
- Cotswold Voluntary Wardens: guided walks → free, volunteer-led guided walks across the Cotswolds National Landscape on Cheltenham’s doorstep.
Climbing
- Boulders Cheltenham → an indoor bouldering centre in Cheltenham itself, for first-timers through to experienced climbers.
- British Mountaineering Council: club finder → for outdoor climbing and mountaineering clubs across Gloucestershire and the wider region.
Notes
This is a curated list rather than an official register — if you run a local sports club in Cheltenham and would like to be added, please contact us with your details.