Do you belong to a running club? Perhaps, it’s something you’ve thought about but haven’t got around to yet. Many of us like the peace and quiet of running on our own but there are many benefits of joining a running club .. this could be the boost your training needs!
What are the benefits of joining a running club?
The idea of joining a running club can be a little scary and I’m guessing that the most common thought from newbie runners is “Will I be good enough?” From what I know of runners, we’re a pretty nice bunch of people who are quick to encourage anyone who shows the slightest inclination to pull on a pair of trainers and get their legs moving.
We need you
Joining a club can really boost your morale and your fitness levels. It’s not so easy to skip a training run when you know there’s a friendly group looking forward to running with you. The camaraderie of running with others offers a change to training on your own. Mixing it up so that you enjoy running on your own and with a club prevents you from getting stuck in a rut and running the same old routes without seeing much progress.
You’re better than you think you are
Sometimes we need something to push us forward and make us leave those cosy little comfort zones we’ve made for ourselves. Club running means that there are new targets, no matter how small, to aim for. It might be a slightly longer run that you’d usually do or perhaps just staying in the middle of the pack rather than at the back .. it’s up to you.
Hey, I’m not that bad 
Realising that you’re not as slow as you thought, can be tremendously positive and will no doubt spur you on to becoming an even better runner.
Safety in Numbers
If you’re at all nervous of running on your own, particularly as the nights draw in, running with other people makes it a much more pleasant experience. Knowing that there’s someone with you means that you can really make the most of your training and you’ll be able to offer motivation and encouragement to others when they need it too.
How to find a running club near you:
- Speak to your local gym and check out their notice boards for information of local groups you may be interested in.
- Google it – plenty of running clubs have their own websites and are pretty easy to find via your favourite search engine. Just enter your location and the words ‘running club’ .. sounds simple but you’d be amazed how many people don’t think to do an online search.
- Facebook – the biggest social network is packed full of great Facebook pages run by running enthusiasts. Just One More Mile is there.. obviously!.. and so are many running clubs & fitness centres. Events like the London Marathon, New York Marathon & Great North Run have lots of information, advice and photos and are also a great way to link up with other runners. All you have to do is LIKE the page
- You can find a great resource for road running in the UK at RunBritain
- If you’re in the US and keen to find a running club, have a look here Road Runners Club of America
- And if you’re in the UK – Running Clubs has a great list of clubs and their associated web sites, contact details etc.
- Ultramarathon Running have details of running races around the world plus training & resources for ultra running enthusiasts including Trail, mountain, desert, 24 hour & other ultra long distance endurance events.
I’d love to know if you belong to a Running Club
and what you think about running in a group or on your own.
Use the comments box below to tell everyone about your running experiences.
August 19, 2012 at 12:49 pm
I agree with all the above. It probably is diffcult to establish but are your goals the same as the clubs. Sometimes I feel I am on a different wavelength and getting people to unite behind a single matter is very difficult. The positives outweigh the negatives considerably though.
August 19, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Can not agree more! I am now with a wonderful athletics club who cater for every standard of runner where nobody feels left out. I started running four and a half years ago and joined a club after 18 months. However, this was not the right club for me. Joining to improve I felt the training was poor and decided to join another and have not looked back. Variation, structure and like minded runners has allowed me to improve and in a year saw all my PBs tumble from 5k to full marathon. Anticipation is part of joining any club but maybe it’s really excitement as you progress as a runner and know you will improve once you have made that step! Go on, you can do it!!