It's a women-only class. Yes, it is partly social, I've moved to this city recently and don't know many people. Plus, I haven't had any successful attempts to get back into running since my kneecaps slammed into a car dashboard during a head-on collision some years ago, so a bit of guidance wouldn't go amiss.
I don't want to join the local triathlon club. It costs a lot more than this class and seems to be only for high level athletes, if the website is anything to go by. Definitely not friendly towards beginners.