Club Captain's Welcome
Welcome to the OUCCC Website
Welcome to Oxford University Cross-Country Club! With approximately 200 members from the university and local community, we pride ourselves on offering high-quality training for runners of all abilities at a fraction of the cost of equivalent clubs across the country. A degree at Oxford shouldn’t be a barrier to participating in sport, which is why we try and make organised running as accessible as possible. Each week, we offer a variety of training opportunities - including club runs, structured sessions, circuits, and a long run - all led by our brilliant coach, Matt Seddon. If you’re new to running, we also offer more relaxed social runs to help you gain confidence before exploring our other training options.
Beyond training, OUCCC provides a strong social community where like-minded runners can meet and train together. We exist to make running fun, and through that we’ve had a huge amount of success. Our teams compete with the top Universities across the country at BUCS, including Loughborough and Birmingham, but notably we have a much greater range of ability levels competing there - a testament to the club’s inclusive and encouraging atmosphere.
Our year is split into two distinct parts. In the winter, we focus on cross-country and our annual Varsity Match against Cambridge, which is now in its 134th year, making it one of the oldest inter-club competitions still running. Unlike most Varsity matches, this event allows anyone to compete and score points for the team. On a national level, we field highly competitive teams at BUCS, with our men’s teams securing podium finishes last year and our women’s team narrowly missing out. Beyond university competition, our members take part in most major cross-country and road races, including Liverpool, the National, Inter-Counties, and Armagh.
As the Easter holidays begin, our focus shifts to the track, mountains, and marathons, with dedicated training groups for each. Many of us also join forces with our sister club, OUAC, to take on Cambridge on the track or race in the London Marathon. This huge variety of options means that no matter your preferred discipline or level, there’s a training group for you at OUCCC.
Our club is about more than just training and that’s why we hold weekly socials as well as an array of trips. During my captaincy, we’ll be traveling to Dublin to compete against Trinity College, attending the Isle of Man Running Festival, and hosting a Pre-Season Training Camp in September. This training camp is open to everyone, including non-members, making it a great way to get to know the club before the academic year begins. Personally, it was my first introduction to OUCCC back in 2022, and it was incredibly reassuring to start at Oxford knowing I already had a group of friendly faces waiting for me!
If you’ve read this far, I encourage you to explore our website - it’s packed with content put together by the club, including more general information, race reports, running routes, and a brief history of the club. For a more detailed breakdown of our activities, you can also sign up for our mailing list, where I’ll be sharing weekly term-time updates on training sessions, socials, and upcoming events.
Whether you’re a current student, offer holder, prospective applicant, or just have questions about the club, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to contact me or any other committee member. If you’re unsure about who to reach out to, just send an email to our club address or message us on Instagram - we’ll make sure you get connected with the right person. It's set to be a fantastic year, and I can't wait to share it with you all!
Best wishes,
Benjy McCartney
(St Hilda's College, OUCCC Club Captain 2025-2026)
