Today’s running clubs are more diverse, both in terms of the ability of their runners, but also in their attitude to running. Joining a running club without any intention of actually entering a race is now a very real possibility!
So, why join a running club? Aside from the benefits of joining - in the form of reduced fees for race entry - being a club member allows you to make the psychological shift so that you can now call yourself a ‘a runner’, rather than just ‘someone who runs’.
Running clubs provide a wealth of local information that can be really beneficial to your running. From advice on the best and safest running routes, to tips on ho to improve your running to knowing the best local races to enter, you’ll find no shortage of people ready to share their local knowledge with you. ??Access to coaching advice?You don’t need to be have ambitions of running a sub-3 hour marathon to be deserving of coaching advice! Everyone can do with a few coaching tips, even if it is something as simple as a few pointers about your running technique. Not all clubs have coaches on hand, so coaching is one of the reasons you want to join a club, make sure it is available before signing up. If you have a running event on the horizon, a coach will be able to advise you on the types of training sessions that you need to be doing to potentially meet your performance targets.
One of the pleasures of running can be the solitude of running alone, but it’s also great to add variety and get involved with other runners as part of a group run. Club members can also meet up outside of club sessions, so joining a club can be a great way to find a running partner, perhaps even someone who is training for the same event as you. The support of runners can be useful on those long runs, particularly when you may need that extra boost of motivation. Running with others also provides the bonus of being far safer, particularly for female runners.
