I think a lot of people have preconceived ideas when it comes to joining a running club. I hear the same comments when trying to encourage people to take the plunge and join a club.
I’m not at that level…
I am not fit or fast enough…
I am not a proper runner…
I don’t like competing against others…
I can’t talk when running…
I’m the wrong shape to run…
Despite your worries, I can assure you that you don’t need to be worried about any of the above. I joined a running club nearly 10 years ago and it was one of the best things I have ever done and here are my top reasons why.
Making new friends – there is no better way to make new friends than to build friendships around something that you enjoy. There are so many different social elements to running clubs. Whether it be running with others on training nights, going to socials, Christmas parties, seeing each other at Park Runs, or planning trips away to races. You can be part of as much or as little as you want to be!
I have a great group of friends that I often see on a weekly basis, outside of club training sessions. I sometimes find it difficult to make club training nights due to work, family and life. But if I can’t make an official session there are always people going out for a run. This includes our ‘Sunday Runday’ group that usually involves a long run, mandatory post run coffee, and sometimes breakfast. We have been known to have lunch and a few beers, crazy I know!
I wouldn’t have this group of friends that give the flexibility of extra runs, support with my running, but more importantly that I enjoy spending my time with, if I didn't join a club.
New routes – most people that go out for runs have a small handful of routes that they recirculate, I even know someone that runs the same route every day! Obviously, everyone is different and if that works for you then great. But for me variety is the spice of life and one of the things I like about running with a club is doing routes that I wouldn’t normally do on my own. The club I run for has summer and winter running routes that vary in distance and route maps can be found on the club website. There is always a group leader and tail runner to make sure you stay on track with the route so if you don’t know the area then it’s a great way to get familiar with it and bank a few runs you can then do on your own without the worry of getting lost.
If you like running, you don’t know many routes, you are not familiar with an area or you have relocate this is the number one way to give yourself a boost in confidence when it comes to trying a new route.
Discount on races – when you officially join a registered running club, part of your club fees will be used to register you as an affiliated UK Athletics member. This gives you a whole host of benefits, some of which I was not even aware of until I started writing this blog! There are loads of discounts on running brands, events, courses and more. The one I use most is the race entry discount.
Being a club member gives you discount when entering most road races as well as those classed as fun runs. The discount is usually around £2.00 per race, but if you are entering a lot of races then this adds up. You can also get priority entry on some races that open their entries first to club runners. This includes my local favourite the Blaydon Race, which is notorious for selling out faster than even the most speedy runner can complete the 5.9 miles!
Motivation – Lets face it, there is nothing better than the feeling of de-stressing after work by going for an evening run and getting the last of the days summer sun on your skin. However, the reality is that the majority of the British weather isn’t like that.
Who doesn’t need a bit of extra motivation from time to time, especially on those cold dark nights when even the most committed runners motivation levels can plummet. Sometimes the last thing you want to do when you get in from work on a dark, cold, wet and windy night is pull on those running trainers and face the elements.
Running with a club makes these harder runs feel so much easier. Having a time and a place that others are meeting to run makes you almost feel guilty for missing it, and the sense of achievement when you do find the motivation to join your fellow club members on a night like this feels awesome. Running with others also challenges you to finish runs when they feel hard.
If you like running please don’t be put off by thinking there won’t be anyone that runs at your pace or that all runners are super skinny and speedy, I can assure you most running clubs have a wide range of abilities and personalities to cater for everyone.
So whether you have been a solo runner for years and you want to try running with others, or running is something new you have taken up during lockdown. It is definitely worth consider the benefits of running with other people.
To find a club or a #Runtogether group near you visit the England Athletics website.
