'I run an award-winning bar in the heart of Leeds - now I'm starting a city centre running club'

Green Room, in Wellington Street, will be hosting a monthly running club starting today (August 31). 

The running club meets at Green Room before heading down to the Leeds-Liverpool canal. After two-and-a-half kilometres, the group heads back to Green Room for coffee and food. 

It comes from the owner Will Habergham’s personal interest in running, but he aspires the new venture to be for more than a fitness club. 

Will said: “I do a little bit of running myself. I've run the London Marathon before. I'm quite into fitness. 

“But to be honest with you, the main reason is that we see Green Room as more of a social hub for the city. 

“We're not just a bar that runs late at night, just a terrace where people are drinking - we want to be known just as a place where people who come and just socialise and it doesn't have to be necessarily drinking.”

He continued: “It’s definitely about community. It's about people meeting each other. 

“It's about people getting to know people that they wouldn't necessarily meet. 

“And it's a lot about the values that Green Room has as a venue. Hopefully, people can share the experience together and build a friendship from it.” 

Green Room already hosts yoga classes and Will hopes to introduce dog meets in the future, to extend the social aspect of the bar. 

A trial two weeks ago proved promising, Will said, and he is excited to see people come together. 

Will said: “We all got together and we ran down the canal just to test it, see where we're going to run.

“And it was amazing and we got great feedback so far. Lots of people have got in touch, and it seems like it's got some good momentum behind it.” 

Beyond the running club, Will is looking forward to transforming the terrace into the Winter Garden for the colder months and inviting people for cosy nights with heaters, blankets and a new cocktail menu. 

The next session will be hosted on Saturday, September 21 at 9:30 am. Find out more information via Green Room’s official social media channels.