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Gyms in Harlow

A post-war new town built with cycle tracks in its bones, an eight-lane pool at the Leisurezone and an athletics track at Mark Hall. Here's where to train in Harlow, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
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Neighbourhoods in Harlow

From the sports centre on London Road to the stadium at Barrows Farm.

Training in Harlow

A young, fast-growing town laid out for walking and cycling.

Harlow was designated a new town on 25 March 1947, to a masterplan by Frederick Gibberd. It had around 93,300 people at the 2021 Census, up 13.9% since 2011, well ahead of the East of England's 8.3% Its median age is 37. In Sport England's Active Lives survey (Nov 2024–25), 58.1% of adults in Harlow did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, against 64.6% across England.

The town's main public venue is Harlow Leisurezone on Second Avenue, run by the Harlow & District Sports Trust, with a 25 m, eight-lane pool, a gym, classes and a climbing challenge. Mark Hall Sports Centre on London Road adds a sports hall, a floodlit 3G pitch and an all-weather athletics track. Around them are a CrossFit box, chain gyms, a judo club that teaches from age 4 to over-65s, boxing and a gymnastics club with adult classes.

Outside, there's parkrun in the Town Park, the Stort towpath along the northern edge of town and one of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country. It's all easier to stick with alongside someone who trains when you do. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Harlow

The Leisurezone and Mark Hall first, then the CrossFit box and chain gyms, and the fight and gymnastics clubs.

Public sports centres

CrossFit and chain gyms

Combat, martial arts and gymnastics

Find a training buddy in Harlow

A lane partner at the Leisurezone, someone to share the WOD at CrossFit 424, a training partner for the track at Mark Hall: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Harlow training group

A Saturday crew for parkrun in the Town Park, an evening ride on the cycle tracks, a weekend run along the Stort towpath: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in and around Harlow.

  • Harlow Town Parkone of the largest urban parks in Britain, with a parkrun and junior parkrun, an outdoor gym and a 650 m² skatepark opened in 2008.
  • River Stort Navigation towpath13.75 miles and 15 locks from Bishop's Stortford to Feildes Weir, past Harlow's northern edge; the towpath is part of the 28-mile Stort Valley Way.
  • Harlow cycle tracksone of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country, linking every part of town to the centre and the industrial areas.
  • Epping Forestabout 2,400 hectares of ancient woodland in the neighbouring district, open to runners, riders and mountain bikers.

Getting around

Rail, bus, road and cycle routes to Harlow's gyms.

Rail

  • two stations, Harlow Town and Harlow Mill, both on Greater Anglia's services between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge
  • the Stansted Express also stops at Harlow Town

Bus

  • the town-centre bus station has 15 stands
  • Arriva runs many of the local routes

Road

  • the M11 serves Harlow at junctions 7 and 7a; junction 7a opened in 2022

Cycle

  • a dedicated cycle track network connects every area of the town
  • the Stort towpath runs along the northern edge

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll meet in the pool and on the mats.

  • 13.9%Population growth since 2011From around 81,900 to 93,300 in ten years, well ahead of the East of England's 8.3%.Census 2021
  • 15.2%Aged 25 to 34Up from 14.5% in 2011, in a town with a median age of 37.Census 2021
  • 58.1%Active adultsDo at least 150 minutes of activity a week, against 64.6% across England. A training partner helps close that gap.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

Harlow gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Harlow?

Gymist lists 23 gyms, sports centres, studios, fight gyms and sports venues across Harlow, from the Leisurezone and Mark Hall Sports Centre to CrossFit 424, chain gyms, boxing, judo and gymnastics clubs.

Which leisure centres are in Harlow, and who runs them?

Harlow Leisurezone on Second Avenue is run by the Harlow & District Sports Trust and has a 25 m, eight-lane pool, a gym, fitness classes, the VertiGo Climb Challenge and the Urban Limitz trampoline park. Mark Hall Sports Centre on London Road has been managed by BMAT, a multi-academy trust, since January 2021, through its Your Community Sports & Leisure arm. It has an indoor sports hall, a floodlit 3G pitch, an all-weather athletics track, a fitness studio and a multi-gym.

Where can I swim in Harlow?

The public pool is at Harlow Leisurezone: a 25 m pool with eight lanes, on Second Avenue next to Harlow College.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Harlow?

Harlow Town Park, one of the largest urban parks in Britain, holds a parkrun and a junior parkrun, and has an outdoor gym and a 650 m² skatepark. The towpath of the River Stort Navigation runs past the northern edge of the town and is part of the 28-mile Stort Valley Way. Harlow also has one of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country, linking every area to the town centre.

How do I get to gyms in Harlow without a car?

Harlow has two stations, Harlow Town and Harlow Mill, both on Greater Anglia's services between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, and the Stansted Express also stops at Harlow Town. The bus station in the town centre has 15 stands, and Arriva runs many of the local routes. The town's cycle tracks reach every neighbourhood.

How do I find a gym buddy in Harlow?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members nearby. If there isn't a group for your kind of training yet, start one.

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