This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
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running family


The f


a


club “We don’t take


ourselves seriously” Phil England, 47, a service manager for a crane manufacturer from Maiden Newton, Dorset, has seen his club membership grow and is now proud club chairman “I started running in 1999 when my eldest son’s junior school organised a 5k fun run in conjunction with the Maiden Newton Runners. I enjoyed it so much I joined the club immediately and then got a place in the following year’s London Marathon. I did the marathon five times with a PB of 3:17. “The club had been going for 14


years before I joined. When we were celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2005, I suggested we organised a proper event. That event – a 10k race – has now become a regular one on the second Saturday in August. “I’ve been chairman since the first


10k run. In that time we’ve gone from a club with 10 members, only half of whom were runners, to about 35. “We’ve also continued another members-only event which started when a guest of a local landowner reckoned we couldn’t run the route he did. From then on, we’ve raced 10k around Lord Winford’s estate every April, often with his guest! “We meet on Tuesday evenings and


run between five and 10 miles. We don’t take ourselves seriously and cater for beginners.” www.freewebs. com/maidennewtonrunningclub


Clubs are the core of our running community… Christine Fieldhouse meets enthusiastic members


“Joining the club has


given me confidence” Jacqueline Brooke, 28, a teacher from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, lost 7st and has taken six minutes off her 10k since joining her club “Since April 2010 I’ve lost 7st and I joined my running club, the Wakefield Harriers, in April this year. The club is known for being one of the best – they’ve had people go from our club to the Olympics, but as soon as I started chatting to people, I knew they welcomed runners of any standard. “Being a member of the club has not


only taken six minutes off my 10k time, it’s also given me confidence. I’ve made a lot of new friends that I go out with and I’ve enjoyed the different types of training – we do hill training and speed sessions, for example. “I’ve started helping with the beginners. When we have new people I introduce myself and talk to them and try to make them feel welcome. I know what it’s like to be new and not confident about your running. “We have two training sessions a


week – Tuesdays are about improvement and Thursdays are for long runs. When we have beginners or new people I “run backwards” – I turn around and go back for the slower runners. I’ve got used to running in laps so I get back to the beginners. “I can see myself doing more for the club in the future. I just love being around people who love what they do.”


“I love the tea and


cakes after a race” Kate Philp, 40, is a lecturer in sport from Exeter, Devon. She’s a member of two clubs “I’ve been running since I was 14 but I didn’t start racing until 2008. When I realised my times were good, I got competitive quickly. My time in the Plymouth Half Marathon – 1:28:10 – qualified me for a championship place in the 2009 London Marathon, but I had to be a member of a club. So I joined the South West Road Runners Running Club in 2009. “Although I didn’t use the club for


training, I found that when I put their vest on I got a lot of support from club members and supporters. I loved their networking and the camaraderie – especially the cups of tea, or coffee and cakes after a run. They often organise talks with local professionals such as physiotherapists, which I find really interesting. “I have also been a member of the


Exeter Triathlon Club since 2008 and I’ve been very active in that group. I did my first Ironman in 2008 and got the double in 2009. Within the club I have helped with admin for aquathons (swims and runs) we have organised and I have been a shadow referee for the Exe Valley Triathlon. “We also organised a Novice Day.


We attracted 45 people and we took them out on the bike course and we all went for a run. We got some very positive feedback.”


RUNNING FREE n 23


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PERFORMANCE


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