Bristol’s Ravers2Runners return for another sober pub crawl run – here’s how to join the party
Bristol-based Ravers2Runners says it’s excited to be bringing back its January ‘Dry Run’ – a sober pub crawl run around city venues – following the success of its inaugural 2024 event. The run will raise money for charity while promoting low-ABV drinks and spotlighting independent venues around the city.
Ravers2Runners began fundraising for Caring in Bristol – a local homelessness charity – in 2021, when its virtual fun run to Ibiza and back raised more than £12,000. The club has also raised money for other charities through running, including a virtual run around the border of Ukraine for the Ukraine Appeal. Most of the club’s festival runs – which have gained traction over the past few years – have also been big fundraisers. Last year’s Glastonbury run attracted nearly 500 runners.
‘We’re going to keep doing our fundraving. We think it’s really important to give back,’ says Jo Bryan-Smith, who founded Ravers2Runners in 2019 after returning to Bristol from a trip to New Zealand, during which she started running more and raving less. After suffering from burnout and a subsequent close call with pneumonia, Jo didn’t want to lose the community and the highs she got from raving but realised she needed more balance.
‘The whole idea of doing a sober pub run is promoting a more sustainable way of socialising and partying because it's something that is important to us as a group. Obviously running is important too, but it’s having that more sustainable approach and being able to find the balance,’ says Jo, who also became a personal trainer – a career she had previously never even considered – following her journey with Ravers2Runners.
What does the 2025 Dry Run involve?
The event – sponsored by local brewery Arbor Ales – takes place on Saturday, 25 January between 11am and 2pm and is designed for all fitness levels, ages and musical tastes. To the soundtrack of high-energy rave music mixed by Ed Real, runners are invited to form small teams (they’ll find you a team if you’re attending solo!) to complete the challenge. The twist? There’s no route. Teams are given seven venue locations which they’ll need to run to in order to sample an alcohol-free or low-ABV drink and collect points. Teams will need to come up with their own routes, with the aim being to visit as many venues and collect as many points as possible in a given time frame. You'll cover roughly between 5K and 10K depending on your route and speed.
Starting at celebrated arts and music venue Lost Horizon, which neighbours Cabot Circus, the teams will warm up to rave music bangers led by Jo herself. ‘It's really gamified. It's very fun. We had such a great response to the last one we did,’ she says, adding: ‘You don't have to be a strong runner to do it. You can even just walk it.’
How to register
Tickets are £28, or if you’re buying as a team of five, you’ll save on the price of one ticket. You can find out more about the event and register here.
You Might Also Like
