The Coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have caused a lot of upheaval for running clubs and members, although necessary of course. As things begin to return to some sort of normality, many of the people who began running since the outbreak may be looking to join a club.
Some previously regular runners have fallen off their training during the time and may wish to rejoin somewhere else. A lack of their usual friends or not running the same pace as their friends any more, may also mean people may wish to switch clubs.
Your needs first
You have to consider why it is you run, and why you want to run with a club in particular. It’s absolutely possible to run well on your own. Most of my sessions are solo ones, although I’ve seen massive benefits to being a club member over the last few years personally, and would still recommend it where appropriate for any individual as part of their training.
I run with a club for friendship. When I joined my first club in over 10 years back in 2017, I wasn’t a running coach and hadn’t even seen that as a viable career for myself, I just went along to make friends and keep active at the same time.
Different types of clubs
There are formal clubs registered with England Athletics, and some which are more informal and referred to as training groups. It can be a prickly subject, as training groups aren’t required to have insurance or be led by people with any sort of qualification. This isn’t always an issue or true of each training group, including RunTogether groups which are lead by Leaders or Coaches, qualified to do so.
Clubs are much more formal in their organisation, with qualifications being held by the leaders of each set of members. For members, you’re free to engage as much or as little as you like.
Some clubs are very competition driven. Other clubs are very laid back, organised more for fun, but still within the structure of safety and guidance of England Athletics.
Club activities
Some running clubs hold internal competitions where the fastest and most improved runners can be recognised. This is a fantastic way to motivate and include everyone, and often culminates in awards given at an annual awards dinner and dance (these are great fun).
For the social interaction seekers, during the summer months many clubs hold BBQs or fetes, and race days are so much more enjoyable with a club than as an unaffiliated runner.
What type of coaching do you want?
A common reason many people I speak to have joined, or want to join a running club is to get coaching. By this they generally mean advice on running form, sessions etc., which isn’t always possible due to the numbers of people in attendance and the overall desires of the rest of the members.
At the Norfolk Gazelles, we’ve ramped up the technique and drill work, added very specific session types, as well as offering Zoom sessions on strength and nutrition, PDF guides to offer advice, and regular test runs. The coaching team has also spent considerable time looking at our own form and tuition to improve what we do for our members.
You might not want that, preferring to just crack on with a hard running session each week, which is absolutely fine as well. Check to see what any club you’re considering joining has to offer, in order to make sure you’re joining the right club for you.
When suits you?
Running clubs have a set training night each week referred to as their “club night”, often a Monday or Tuesday, as well as either formal or informal group activities such as tempo runs, long runs or strength training every Wednesday or Thursday.
Once you know the type of club you want to join, you have to look at what will fit in with your diary on a regular basis. You get a lot more out of membership by attending regularly, even if it’s on the less formal sessions.
We have so many fantastic clubs in Norfolk. My advice is to find a club, make sure that being a member will meet your needs, then get involved.You won’t regret it.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk