Sport and Fitness in Durham

For a small city, Durham is well set up for keeping active, from a riverside leisure centre and a free weekly parkrun to a rowing tradition that runs deep on the Wear. Here is our guide to sport and fitness in and around Durham.

Swimming and leisure centres

The main leisure centre in the city is Freeman's Quay, on the riverside a short walk from the Market Place and run under the council's Thrive Leisure brand. It has an eight-lane, twenty-five metre swimming pool and a separate learner pool, a large gym, a sports hall and fitness studios. It is the obvious choice for swimming; the River Wear itself is for looking at, not swimming in, and the council publishes clear water-safety advice for anyone tempted.

Gyms

Alongside the gym at Freeman's Quay, Durham has two PureGym sites, both open around the clock, at Durham City Retail Park and at the Arnison Centre to the north of the city. Between them they cover most needs for pay-as-you-go, contract-free fitness.

Running and parkrun

Durham parkrun is a free, timed five-kilometre run held every Saturday morning at 9am, starting from the Graham Sports Centre at Maiden Castle and following the riverside path along the Wear. It is friendly, well established and open to all abilities, whether you run, jog or walk, and there is a junior parkrun for children on Sundays too. The riverside paths and the Weardale Way, which follows the Wear through the city, make good running routes at any time.

University sport at Maiden Castle

Durham University's Sport and Wellbeing Park at Maiden Castle, home of Team Durham, is one of the best university sport facilities in the country, with pitches, courts, an athletics track and a fitness suite. It is not just for students: the site is open to the public and hosts a range of community clubs.

Rowing and the river

Rowing is woven into Durham life. The narrow stretch of the Wear through the city is one of the busiest rowing waterways in England, shared by university, college, school and town crews. Durham Amateur Rowing Club, the public club, has rowed here since 1860 from its boathouse on Green Lane. The season's highlight is Durham Regatta, held on the second weekend of June since 1834, which claims to be the second-oldest rowing regatta in England after Chester, predating even Henley by five years.

Cricket and football

Durham County Cricket Club plays its first-class and international cricket at the Banks Homes Riverside in Chester-le-Street, a few miles north of the city, while Durham City Cricket Club plays at its historic Green Lane ground in Old Elvet. In women's football, Durham Women play in the Women's Super League 2, with their home matches at Maiden Castle.

Getting active outdoors

For walking, cycling and the countryside beyond the city, see our guide to the best walks in and around Durham.