Run Group at Newport
Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5:45am. A supportive running group for women and everyday runners along Newport's waterfront — where flat doesn't mean easy, and every session moves you forward.
📅 When Tuesday & Thursday 5:45am — 6:45am
📍 Where Newport waterfront Inner west Melbourne
💰 Cost Casual: $8.50 5-week block: $75 First week: Free
What happens at Newport
Newport is RD Run Squad's speed location — and it earns that reputation every week.
The flat waterfront paths along the bay give runners the chance to work on pace without hills interrupting the effort. No excuses, no gradient to blame — just you, the path, and the chance to find out what you're actually capable of when the terrain is working with you rather than against you.
Sessions at Newport tend to focus on speed work, tempo efforts, and building the ability to hold a strong pace over distance. It's the location where runners start to notice real improvement — where the gap between your comfortable pace and your race pace begins to close.
The Newport power station sits in the background as a landmark you'll come to know well. Early morning light, cool air off the bay, a path that stretches out ahead of you. It's a setting that makes you want to run fast — and a coach who'll make sure you do it smartly.
If Williamstown is where you build your base and Farnsworth Ave is where you build your strength, Newport is where you find your speed.
Who is this for
Newport sessions suit runners at every level — from those who are just starting to push beyond a comfortable jog, to those chasing a specific race goal and needing structured speed work to get there.
You don't need to be fast to benefit from speed-focused sessions. In fact, most of the squad aren't — and that's exactly the point. Working at your own version of a faster effort, with a coach guiding the structure, is how improvement actually happens. The pace is relative to you, not to anyone else in the group.
The squad is mostly women, which shapes the culture in the best way — encouraging, non-competitive, and genuinely supportive of wherever each person is in their running journey. Nobody is watching your Garmin. Nobody is racing anyone else. Everyone is just working on getting a little bit better, together.
Your first week is completely free. Come and try a Newport session before you commit to anything.
About your coach
Dale Ipsen — known as RD — is an Athletics Australia Level 2 accredited run coach with 15+ years of running experience, including 10 marathons and a 100km ultra event.
Speed work done badly leads to injury. Done well, it's the single biggest lever most recreational runners aren't pulling. Dale structures Newport sessions so the effort is appropriate for where you are right now — not where a generic training plan assumes you should be. That means real improvement without the breakdown that comes from doing too much too soon.
RD stands for Race Director — a nickname from the people he runs with, because he's the one who keeps the group organised, keeps everyone moving, and makes sure no one is left behind.
The other locations
Newport is one of three locations RD Run Squad rotates through each week. Depending on the session goal, you might also find us at:
Williamstown Beach — flat foreshore running perfect for tempo runs, deload weeks, and building a confident, consistent pace with one of Melbourne's best morning views as a backdrop.
Farnsworth Avenue, Footscray — the hill sessions. A long, steady climb that builds the kind of leg strength and mental resilience that makes every other run feel easier.
Follow RD Run Coach on Instagram or Facebook to see where we're heading each week — or get in touch and we'll keep you across the schedule.
Ready to find your speed at Newport?
Your first week is completely free. Come and see what Run Squad is about — then decide if it's for you.