We have a wide range of adult running groups, of varying abilities who train and compete throughout the year. The main training sessions are Tuesday & Thursday evenings 6.30pm – 8.00pm, though many of our runners often arrange to meet up informally at other times during the week. Anyone is welcome to come down to the club and find out more about what we do, and how the training sessions work, before making any commitment to join.
However, we understand that it may be a little daunting to think about joining a running club if you’re just starting, haven’t run for some time, or just aren’t sure whether you’ll be ‘good enough’ to join a club. If you are interested in running but maybe fit into one of these categories, why not get in touch and we can give you some help and guidance as to which group you could join in with for training. We really do have people of all ages and abilities so there’s no need to worry that there may not be a group you can fit in to, or that you may not be fast enough to keep up.
Our members are a friendly bunch, and you’ll not only benefit from improving your fitness levels but you’ll get support and encouragement from everyone around you.
Our adult groups tend to meet on a Tuesday and Thursday at Aldersley Stadium and the reception area is a hive of running activity. The venue may change from time to time and groups are made aware of what’s going on via social media or WhatsApp groups
The adult groups will cover a range of abilities and ambitions but can generally be summarised below, we have deliberated long and hard on what to call the groups, many names can be considered too serious or not serious enough and we are reluctant to call a group Arthur’s group or Martha’s group, as then it feels like a great responsibility for that person or members of the group may feel they belong to the leader rather than the group itself.
Anyway, here is a quick summary of what each group tends to do with the distinction between each group based on minute miling. There is no reason why people cannot move between groups, maybe an athlete is coming back from injury or just a prolonged break and doesn’t want to drop back in where they were, maybe someone has improved and finds they are comfortable at one level and feels like a challenge and wants to move to a quicker group, at least the options are there for an athlete to flex between groups and try something different depending on what suits them at the time. There is certainly no elitism within any group and no stigma attached to being a member of one group over another.
It must also be stated that all athletes within each group will have a duty of care to ensure that everyone is safe, no one gets left behind, and runners will be expected to regroup, double back and ensure that the group is not stretched out too far to make it unsafe or unsettling.
10 – 11 minute mile group
Ideally for runners who are able to complete a parkrun in around 30 minutes, maybe a little quicker, possibly a little slower. Each run will be around 5 – 6 miles with regrouping to make sure the tail is not too long. This is a good starting point for those who have completed a couch to 5k course and feel they want to take their running that little bit further. We are attempting to forge greater links with Jolly Joggers who organise a couch to 5k group and this will potentially be a good starting point for those wishing to find their feet within the club.
6 – 9 minute mile group – The Distance Group
This group is aimed at runners who train regularly and are doing 5k Park Runs between 18 and 25 minutes. Many of the runners also take part in organised events such as marathons, half marathons, local road races and cross-country leagues.
We meet at 6:30pm on a Tuesday night, normally at Aldersley Stadium or Fordhouses cricket club, it is usually an efforts session. On a Thursday night it is a straight run of around 7 miles. The Thursday night run will start in different places and may split at some point into a faster group and a more social group, with the option to stop afterwards for some refreshment. Many of the group also do the Park Run on Saturday morning and maybe a run on a Sunday morning as well. Once the sessions have started, we often split into two or three groups, dependant on the pace people want to go at.
Whilst working hard, it is also a social group, with drinks (for some) after training and frequent nights out. In recent years we have taken a large group to the Benidorm 10k and will regularly target specific local and not so local races.
5 – 7 minute mile group – distance group
This group is aimed at those who are that little bit quicker. Sessions can be on the road, around parks, on the local fields or on the track. Venues can vary depending where we are in the year and the training cycle. This group tends to go for a structured session, with a second group run later in the week, possibly a fartlek session or some longer temp intervals. There is also the option of a Saturday session, sometimes even combined within a Park Run to help get that Park Run fix.
5 – 7 minute mile – track group
There are some groups within a group here with the 800 and & 1500 runners focusing more on track racing throughout the summer, with the focus being on 400 up to 3000, athletes tend to join these groups for the summer track season before moving to the distance groups in the throughout the winter when the focus is more of road relays, individual road racing and cross-country leagues. Sessions tend to be on the track on Tuesdays in summer with a tempo effort on a Thursday but tend to go out on the roads in the winter to ensure the sessions are event specific.
