- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 21, 2026
Make Friends After 40 in Nottinghamshire, One 5k at a Time
Between 2021 and 2025 Nottinghamshire added roughly 5% more people in their forties, which means more newcomers to running, walking and forest trails at your stage.
862,000+
residents of Nottinghamshire county outside Nottingham city (ONS mid-2025)
5%
growth, 2021 to 2025, in Nottinghamshire residents in their forties; East Midlands 4% (ONS)
53,000+
women in their forties live in Nottinghamshire (ONS mid-2025)
Nottinghamshire for a first go at something new
Lacing up as a sporting novice in your 40s in Nottinghamshire places you alongside other beginners, and beginners tend to bond fast. Sherwood Pines parkrun sets off through the forest every Saturday, Mansfield Runners head out from Berry Hill Park on Thursday evenings, and Inspire Learning has hundreds of autumn courses. Through Gofrendly you might meet a woman nearby keen to start too.
Nottinghamshire questions about starting something new over 40
Is Sherwood Pines parkrun suitable for complete beginners in Nottinghamshire?
Yes. Sherwood Pines parkrun is a 5k through Sherwood Pines Forest Park every Saturday morning, and you are welcome to walk it. Like every parkrun in Nottinghamshire, it costs nothing, though you need to register once and bring your barcode to get a time.
Where can I join a group run in Nottinghamshire?
Mansfield Runners meets every Thursday at 6pm beside the Mansfield Harriers track at Berry Hill Park, running roughly five or six miles all year apart from Christmas. In Nottinghamshire, Mansfield Harriers and AC also caters for all standards if you want a club with coaching.
Is learning a sport a good way to find friends in your 40s in Nottinghamshire?
Learn something alongside other beginners over 40, whether a sport, singing or an evening course, and keep going for a few months. Gofrendly, the women-only friendship app, shows you women in Nottinghamshire looking for a companion for the first few sessions.
Are there book groups at Nottinghamshire libraries?
Inspire runs reading groups in Nottinghamshire libraries, such as a science fiction and fantasy group at Beeston Library from 5pm to 6pm on the second Wednesday. Staff at your local branch can tell you which groups meet nearby and how to join one.
Making friends in Nottinghamshire by trying a new sport
There is something levelling about being new at a sport. Nobody in Nottinghamshire expects a first-timer to be fast, and the shared huffing up a hill does more for conversation than any icebreaker. A group with a regular start time also means familiar faces every single week, and that is how a nod becomes a friendship. After a month or two you will find yourself greeting the next newcomer. Sherwood Forest country and the Trent valley give the county plenty of room to run, walk and ride. Learning a skill alongside others is a reliable way to make friends after 40, and it supplies conversation beyond work.
Over 53,000 women in the county are aged 40 to 49, and their age group grew faster here than in the wider region. Moved house, switched jobs or simply feel lonely at weekends? A sport gives the week some shape. Places to begin:
1
Sherwood Pines parkrun in Sherwood Pines Forest Park, a 5k on forest trails and stone paths every Saturday.
2
Mansfield Runners, who meet by the Mansfield Harriers track at Berry Hill Park on Thursdays at 6pm.
3
Mansfield Harriers and AC, a club for all standards from road running to cross country.
4
Inspire Learning, with hundreds of low-cost and no-cost adult courses from September to December 2026.
5
Mansfield Community Choir, singing every Friday evening at St Albans church in Forest Town.
LOCAL TIP
Being the slowest in the group is how everyone starts.
How to
Meeting people in Nottinghamshire as a beginner
1
Walk or jog Sherwood Pines parkrun one Saturday, then linger for a drink afterwards.
2
Join Mansfield Runners on a Thursday evening once you can manage a few miles.
3
Find a woman over 40 nearby on Gofrendly who also wants to try running or a class.
4
Pick up the Inspire Learning autumn guide and book a course that starts this term.
For anyone starting from scratch
How this Nottinghamshire guide was put together
Gofrendly’s founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who edit our guides, put this Nottinghamshire page together for forty-something women who fancy taking up a sport or skill and finding company through it.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.