Attracting newbies to running clubs: your ideas please
1 lurker |
13 watchers
Jul 2023
4:25pm, 20 Jul 2023
9,045 posts
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Son of a Pronator Man
also making sure that some things don't happen... At a club I was a member of in the past, any woman coming to club training for the first time was often surrounded by guys who wanted to help, offer advice, keep them company at the training session, all a bit creepy. Many of them never came back as a result. Club session leaders also need to make sure there's no "banter"
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Jul 2023
4:27pm, 20 Jul 2023
9,884 posts
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GordonG
Very good point. I don't think we have anyone whose role it is to be the 'newbie buddy'. |
Jul 2023
8:01pm, 20 Jul 2023
3,304 posts
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Lesley C
We are in a similar position with our club. We have about 40 paid members and have a max of 15 folk per session. There are so many local runners but they don't want to come to club. We do a open social night every May, and others too through the year. Tried the Parkrun approach. Unfortunately another local guy started a race series so we can't do that. He wanted to charge us to put up a flag and hand out flyers - he didn't even say that he was going to start a race. (I hate the guy sorry). The C25k lot didn't stay and our retention is not the best. Some stay some don't. Our membership fees are £10 a year, but we aren't members of Scottish Athletics but are a Jog Scotland group. Sessions are all lead by a LiRF and have a range of paces and ages. We have no ideas on what to do either. |
Jul 2023
8:06pm, 20 Jul 2023
69 posts
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5km_is_plenty
We get a steady stream of 'new' blood via a Beginners programme.
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Jul 2023
8:22pm, 20 Jul 2023
9,885 posts
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GordonG
£10 seems such a good fee Lesley C. Your club (and situation) does sound very similar to ours. Fenners-Reborn does that mean that in effect you have two training groups: a beginner and (presumably) slower group doing their training, and a more established lot doing other training? |
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Jul 2023
8:26pm, 20 Jul 2023
70 posts
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5km_is_plenty
Not really, GordonG. Twice a year, we run a Beginners 5km 10 week training course. A good number of those 'beginners' get converted from non-members to members. |
Jul 2023
9:14pm, 20 Jul 2023
9,833 posts
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TeeBee
I joined my club in 2008 when I ran one of their races as an unaffiliated ahtlete. After the race I got an e-mail from the membership secretary asking if I fancied coming to a club session to see if I was interested in joining. I'm still with the club now. We also run a ladies beginners/returners course every year in the spring (which pretty much follows coach to 5K - one run per week with the club, the other two on their own). Lots of women in the club have come in via that route. |
Jul 2023
9:30pm, 20 Jul 2023
2,262 posts
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FurryH
The club I'm in has a monthly pacers at the local parkrun. Lots of parkrunners have become members through through parkrun. Also each week jog walk group with allocated leader on rota and the pairing up into set groups for each pace. Club is fairly large now in the 10 years or ive been there so membership fees pay for "free" enteries into local leagues. Mid week in summer and xc in winter. I think this creates a buzz which draws in some more competitive types and creates a team atmosphere. We also marshall a local half marathon so members are visible to those racing. Having branded club kits (hoodies) helps market the club. We are styled as jogging club so attract social runners when compared with the local athelics focused club. |
Jul 2023
9:33pm, 20 Jul 2023
2,705 posts
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Big_G
We have a couch to 5K programme, but the conversion to full club membership is poor. We charge £10 for the 12 week programme (ran 3 times a year), and the runner gets that £10 knocked off their membership fee if they join. We do have ‘improvers’ sessions each week, twice a week, with plenty of regrouping on a 4-5 mile group run, but as I say the conversion is poor, although we get really good feedback about the programme, and we follow up with a reminder of the offer.
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Jul 2023
4:44pm, 21 Jul 2023
139 posts
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olde english
i created a new club about 2yrs ago (www.youlgraveharriers.com, we're awesome if you're in the Peaks pop along for a jog about  ) , the open invite 'guided trail runs' worked a treat (worked 2 well , we dont advertise outside club comms now after we had 30-40 show up for 1, great fun, but a tad stressy) . Its where the core of the club came from. Also organize 2 Fell races now which takes care of all advertisement as we plaster Youlgrave Harriers all over them even got Snoop Dogg involved facebook.com .
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