We are very keen for new people to come along and join in.
Juniors
Junior athletes aged 7 and above are encouraged to come along no matter what
level of ability and experience. Our junior training is designed to be
inclusive and enjoyable, whilst also giving the opportunities to develop talents and
excel.
Adults
To join in our training, adult road runners should be able to run or jog
for at least 40 minutes continuously (at whatever pace). The best venues
for first timers are the
Harringay Club and
Hampstead Heath
. Beginners are just
as welcome at other venues, but should be able to run for a little longer. Adults new to track & field should come along to
Finsbury Park track.
Getting going: if you would like to do the adult road runs but you don't think you can manage 40 minutes, you should do a bit of training before you come. Suggestions follow. While you may be pleasantly surprised at how well you get on, please bear in mind that it is up to you to take responsibility for your own health. Don't overdo it and do consult your doctor first if need be!
Sometimes we are able to help beginners who really need an organised program. to express an interest if you are one of these - but please bear in mind that if nothing is advertised here then nothing is in the pipeline right now.
- If you in good general health but not used to running, you might start out by jogging for 10 minutes or so - once or twice a week at first, building up to three or four times. Once 10 minutes is comfortable, you could try adding a few minutes to some runs and see how it goes. Aim to build up gradually without straining.
- Always remember to warm up first, perhaps by walking then jogging slowly, and to avoid letting your muscles cool down quickly afterwards: make sure you stay supple.
- Avoid making every run harder than the last one. Different people progress at different rates but everyone needs to recover and consolidate!
- If 10 minutes is too much, you might start with brisk walks or by mixing jogging and walking: jog for a few minutes, walk till you feel recovered, jog for another few minutes... Then over the weeks, aim to gradually decrease the amount of time walking and increase the time running.
