We were so delighted to finally see our Learn to Run Courses graduate in May, we nearly burst!
Both the ladies adult course and the youth course were originally due to start back in January. Just as we were about to launch we went into a second country wide lockdown. Despite the three month delay we managed to hang on to the 30 ladies that had signed up for the adult course (max capacity). We were able to start in earnest on the 27th March, adhering to the government guidelines and in accordance with Sport England/ England Athletics regulations.
Our learn to run courses are always fun and each week taken gradually, to avoid injury and maintain motivation. We encourage all our participants to meet up with others on the course during the week to do their homework. This group were particularly great at getting together either along the promenade or around their local parks or streets. The progress is clear to see and quickly they are able to feel the benefits of the repetition.
8 weeks on and our adult graduation saw us down at Splashpoint for a flat 5km out to Brooklands and back. Although flat we were accompanied by the wind and the rain! This did not stop this amazing group of ladies from running the whole 5km, coming in to rapturous applause from waiting family and friends. They were then presented with their certificates.
The ladies in action!
Active youth course
We were lucky enough to receive funding from Active Sussex https://www.activesussex.org/ to set up a Satellite club. This is an extension of our own club to specifically target the 14-24 girls age group. Whilst we do already have junior members, this is the first time we had offered a learn to run course solely for youths. Our aim was to make the younger girls feel more comfortable and at ease. Coaching them in how to run properly, promoting a healthy attitude towards mental & physical well being whilst mixing with others of a similar age.
Here are some recent alarming statistics carried out from “Women in Sport” https://www.womeninsport.org/
Unfortunately of the girls that signed up for the course some pulled out prior to the start, stating exactly the reasons we wanted to help alleviate through running – exam stress, mental health and anxiety and Covid 19 concerns. Others had either completed 0- 5km app or working on Saturday’s and no longer able to attend. This is such a shame but understandable especially due to the 3 month delay due to lockdown restrictions.
Finally the course was underway at the beginning of April with a small but perfectly formed group. The girls worked hard both during the sessions and in the week to repeat their timings. We were able to witness their confidence grow and friendships start to form.
We lost some girls after a couple of weeks and gained others along the way. By the time their graduation came our three remaining devoted girls gave it their all, completing 5km non stop. This is so impressive after starting on week one with 2 or 3 minutes jogging at a time.
Congratulations to all our girls. We are delighted to say all three girls have now become members. We are now able to offer a dedicated youth session every Saturday morning. If you know someone already active aged 14-18 that would like to join our junior session please do get in touch [email protected] quoting YOUTH.
