Runner's City's Running League (Apply Now)
Want to own your own club like a Newham & Essex Beagles and Beckenham running club but in a Running League like no other? Your club would compete in our league with available names like Stratford Running Club, Manchester, Hackney striders Running club etc get in touch to secure your place. This is a unique opportunity to be an owner of your own club before prices to join become exorbitant.
Email: info@runnerscity.co.uk
You've heard of the Premier League and NBA and in time you will hear and become accustomed to watching and enjoying the Runner's City League.
Runner's City Corporate League - For career climbers and aspiring professionals
Runner's City Pro League - For Pro athletes signed to a club in the Runner's City League.
Training
The best way to be competitive is to get a coach and train regularly with your team.
Rules and Regulations
To be announced
Why and How to Start a Running Club
Many people think running is a solitary sport. It sure can be – after all, one of the great aspects of running is that it is a simple sport. You don’t need much gear and you can run anytime, anyplace, anywhere (with a few exceptions). But running can also be a social sport. There are many reasons to run with a group or club such as:
- Meeting new people and making new friends.
- Staying motivated with your exercise and training.
- Learning new things about running from the other runners.
- Sharing your knowledge of running with others in the club.
While there is a vast network of running clubs in the United Kingdom (and most other countries), there may not be one in your area. Or maybe there is a road running club and you want to start a off road running club, or vice versa. Here are 12 tips for starting a running club
Get by with a little help from your friends. All it takes is one or two other committed people to make it a club. Round up 1-2 friends or training partners and your club has started. Your official team in our league will require a roaster of 25 - 30 runners for the season.
- The Name Game. This goes without saying, but you need a name to identify your club. It could be very general like “Essex Street Runners” or “London Road runners”. Perhaps you are targeting a more specific audience and you want a tile such as “Stratford Area Women’s Running Club” or “Preston Rangers Runners.” I recommend a more generic name if you are looking for a larger group and plan to be more all inclusive
- .Your Meeting Place. You need to create a club Web site, and the easiest (and free) way to accomplish this is to set up a Yahoo Group (groups.yahoo.com/). A Yahoo group will provide a central place for communication among your club members. You can send group e-mails, post pictures, and post scheduled runs to the calendar. The OCTR started out on Yahoo groups. However, they found that using a site like My Family (www.myfamily.com) better suited their needs even though there is small annual fee.
- Search Yourself. People will search for your club by typing things like “Runner’s city” or “Chicago Running Clubs” in their favourite search engines. If you have a public Web page it will make your club MUCH easier to find via search engines. Put lots of key phrases on your public Web site such as “runners of all levels welcome,” “Chicago Running club,” “Seattle Trail Runners,” etc. Do some test searches yourself and see if your club page comes up in the results. A trick to presenting your page higher in the results is having people link to it. If your club members have blogs or Web pages, have them put links on their page pointing back to your club site. You can also post on messages boards, etc and have the link to your site in your signature.
- Run! When you are just starting out, I suggest scheduling a run on Saturday or Sunday of 3-6 miles in length. Or if you are very ambitious schedule 2 runs: a short run for all levels and a long run. However, to get the most people joining your club you’ll want these runs on weekends. I have found that Saturdays are the most popular day for people to show up to a club run. When I started the Runner’s city one year ago we just had one short weekly run. As the club grew in size (more than 65 now) we have runs nearly every day of the week led by different members and for all running levels. Be patient in the beginning. As your club grows, so will the run options you can offer.
- Attention and a personal touch. Make sure you give special attention to your new members. Many people get nervous when coming to a club run for the first time. If possible, run the entire distance with them (unless they are too fast for you). If you are faster than they, you can slow down and keep them company. Special touches like that and connecting with another runner in the club is what will bring them back week after week. Faster runners may get bored if they have to run slow all the time. Try to pair them up with someone (you or another member) so they can run their own pace. Same goes for that lone back-of-the pack runner who may get bored of finishing last and alone after every run. After all, these people came to run with a club and not by themselves.
- Recruit & Advertise. Get your club listed on public websites such as The Running Network or Active. Talk to you local paper or weekly news magazine and see if you can get listed or maybe they can do a story on you. Put up fliers in running and athletic stores (if they allow it), or health food stores and other areas where healthy and active people spend their time. Maybe you can even get fliers in the goodies bags at local races. Be sure to tell other runners about your club when you cross paths while out running. When you club grows large enough you may want to consider designing and purchasing a club uniform or shirt to help advertise and give your members a sense a belonging.
- Cheapskates. Don’t charge a membership fee. Initially you will want your club to be free. Keep it simple to grow your club faster. No fees, nothing to sign – just show up for the runs.
- Get Social. Plan monthly or quarterly events such as parties, BBQs, outings for holidays, etc. Social outings helps people connect with other members in the club and gives them another reason to stay active and keep coming back for more.
- Negotiate Deals & Discounts. Talk to local race organizers, running stores, or whatever else you can think of that might benefit your runners. See if they will give you a discount on shoes, apparel, race fees, etc. You never know until you ask!
- To Structure or Not? Many clubs set up officers, weekly or monthly meetings, hold elections, etc. It all depends on the feel you want for the club. The Orange Country Trail Runners have never had any formal meetings, elections, or officers. We are all just runners. We all plan runs and lead runs. Everyone advertises. Everyone in the club is equal and there really is no iron fist calling the shots. We do have a couple of people who help make decisions in steering the club, making sure there are socials, etc. If you go the no-structure route make sure you are getting input from your members and making them feel like they are a part of the club. If you go the structured route, then once you get enough members you will want to hold elections for key officers such as president, treasurer, etc. Mostly it’s a matter of personal preference and the personalities that are part of the club.
- Show me the money! As your club grows you will need money to covers certain expenses. You may want to buy insurance to protect you in case of an accident. You may also want to form your club into a non-profit organization which also has a cost associated. Monthly or quarterly socials may have food subsidized by the club funds. If you purchase shirts or uniforms it’s often easier for the club treasurer to write out one check and be reimbursed by members. There are many reasons you might need money once your club grows. You will lose some members once you start charging, but you will have a more solid core group among those that stay and pay. Don’t get greedy but find a reasonable price for membership. In the case of the some clubs, they invite people out on a run. If they like it, they have them send in a £37 check and upon receipt they give them access to the private club Web site.
You will be appreciated for starting a running club. There are many runners who would prefer companionship on their runs but don’t know where to look or don’t know how to start their own club. So what are you waiting for? Grab a couple friends and start your running club this week!!!
Running with other people is a whole different kettle of fish to heading out for solo slogs. Nothing helps the minutes of a steady run speed by as effectively as chatting, and pushing yourself to the max during interval sessions is damned hard to do without other people there to beat/keep up with (delete as appropriate).
Traditional running clubs are undoubtedly great but, in London at least, they tend to be based in the outer reaches and require (admittedly low) membership fees. They also feel like more of a long-term commitment and can feel daunting for newbies. Fortunately there are now so many free running groups in the centre of London that you can, should you desire, run with others every day of the week without leaving Zone 1 or spending a penny.
These groups are often coached and will mix up their runs so you can try interval sessions and hill training as well as fitting in your longer steady runs. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to the world of running clubs without making any real commitments. Although most of them are set up by a brand, there isn’t any pressure to wear or buy the gear (although there will often be a chance to try gear for free).
Parkrun
While other groups on this list are great for training runs, parkrun offers the chance to put that training to the test with a free weekly timed 5K at 9am on Saturdays. There are almost 50 different park runs in London (and plenty more all over the country) to choose between – start with our pick of the best parkruns in London. You have to register to get your barcode, which is scanned after each race to log your time. Sign up at parkrun.org.uk
