Attracting newbies to running clubs: your ideas please

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Shades
Shades
Aug 2024
12:32pm, 29 Aug 2024
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Shades
I think most clubs have become more considerate of beginners and slower runners as so many clubs now organise Couch to 5k groups.
paulcook
paulcook
Aug 2024
1:01pm, 29 Aug 2024
6,297 posts
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paulcook
Everybody’s training is different so it’s hard - nigh on impossible sometimes - to please or cater for everyone.

Depends if you can have either different paces on different nights or more than one group at the same time.

I was talking to one of our long-established runners last year and he said our club run used to be fast and lots of runners got dropped off the back. It got people faster though I can also see some people would get put off.
Lesley C
Lesley C
Aug 2024
2:09pm, 29 Aug 2024
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Lesley C
We did a C25k group earlier in the year, it was a success, probably because I organised it. They all hated that man when he took their group.

It really is so hard to cater for everyone.
Ocelot Spleens
Ocelot Spleens
Aug 2024
2:34pm, 29 Aug 2024
39,539 posts
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Ocelot Spleens
This is why you split people into pace/ability.

Then you don't have to cater for everyone all the time.
Fat Dave
Fat Dave
Aug 2024
2:47pm, 29 Aug 2024
16,015 posts
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Fat Dave
The obvious thing, if it hasn't already been mentioned, would be a 5-10k improvers group, culminating in a specific 10k race... so you have something to aim for, like with C25k.

That way, people who enjoy Parkrun but want more have a specific challenge. And you can share something like "Now's the time to start training for [race]". I imagine a lot of Parkrunners who've never tried a 10k might be tempted.
Fat Dave
Fat Dave
Aug 2024
2:47pm, 29 Aug 2024
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Fat Dave
(Also giving a more specific follow-on from C25k.)
Fat Dave
Fat Dave
Aug 2024
2:48pm, 29 Aug 2024
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Fat Dave
That said: dropping runners off the back of a club run is inexcusable.
Lesley C
Lesley C
Aug 2024
6:57pm, 29 Aug 2024
4,008 posts
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Lesley C
Ocelot Spleens wrote:This is why you split people into pace/ability. Then you don't have to cater for everyone all the time.


Tried suggesting that, didn't work.

Fat Dave wrote:The obvious thing, if it hasn't already been mentioned, would be a 5-10k improvers group, culminating in a specific 10k race... so you have something to aim for, like with C25k. That way, people who enjoy Parkrun but want more have a specific challenge. And you can share something like "Now's the time to start training for [race]". I imagine a lot of Parkrunners who've never tried a 10k might be tempted.


This was the plan, getting up to 10k slowly over the summer. There was supposed to be two groups at each session, and easy run then one for those wanting to do speedy stuff. This lasted 3 weeks or so. Two leaders thought it would be good to get the beginners to do intervals 😳. I said that was not a good idea, and they didn't listen. I was right as some got injured or decided not to come back.

It's been along day and I am seriously fed up with these people, especially that man. We lost two leaders because of him and he might lose another.

He has asked if anyone wants to do the course, I suspect there will be nobody.

Our club used to be so great when I was in charge. Looking back over the last few months it's mostly new people coming along not ones who have been members for quite a while.
Ocelot Spleens
Ocelot Spleens
Aug 2024
7:08pm, 30 Aug 2024
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Ocelot Spleens
The idea above works well at at Marple and Stockport, you not only need a couch to 5k thing to get newbies, and people coming back to running, but a follow up almost social group for the graduates to drop into.

Also, a club is not a static thing, people come and go, so it's a constant unfinished piece of work. Yiu almost have to reinvent the wheel with what worked ery few years.

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About This Thread

Maintained by GordonG
Hi all. Like most running clubs, my one is always looking to recruit new members. While we don’t want to pinch people from other clubs, we do want to find ways to attract runners.

We have a website, Facebook page, etc, which I know we could improve and make better use of. But I was wondering whether Fetchies have examples of specific ideas or activities other running clubs have done to attract new members.

Just FYI we don’t have a kids section (another local club does that success...

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