Formed in 1985, Halstead Road Runners cater for all levels of ability, from Marathon runners seeking further training to the “man or women in the street” wishing to shed a few pounds and make some new friends.
No matter what your age or ability, you can improve and maintain your fitness by running on a regular basis.
Members of the Halstead & Essex Marathon committee and race supporters. (More info)
Many people say “I’m not good enough to join a running club”, but there really is no required "standard" to be a member - we are a club of very mixed abilities and all manner of shapes and sizes - both male and female!
Running is a great form of exercise and at £22 per year for adults it's significantly cheaper than joining a gym. At £6 (8-10yrs) and £11(11-15yrs) it's also far cheaper than football, swimming or any of the local "kids clubs". Compared to the gym you will feel fitter and healthier, lose weight quicker (if that's your goal) and you will love the freedom to exercise when and where you want.
The club organise training sessions and races for members, as well as promoting a wide variety of events from road, to cross-country and trail running. We also hold an annual awards dinner and as an affiliated club receive two highly sought after London Marathon places.
The club operates from the Courtauld Sports Ground, Colchester Road, Halstead. We meet on Wednesday nights at 7:45PM and undertake a structured weekly training plan catering for all abilities (except for the summer months when the light evenings allow the very enjoyable "20 minutes out-and-back" runs). Wednesday is our main meeting night and includes club announcements, race results etc.
We also meet on Monday nights at 6:45PM for a steady-pace ~5 mile run and there's often an informal off road run on Sunday mornings.
Our Summer Handicap Series consists of six runs of between 5 and 10km from local pubs. These are very sociable events, with many members enjoying food and a drink after the race. The series is great fun - each runner trying to beat their previous year’s times, with the greatest improvement winning. This is usually won by new members and rarely by the faster pros!
There's quite literally always a weekend road race somewhere within a short driving distance with invariably some of the members attending. If you feel like racing to improve your running then the membership will help you, even down to lift-sharing if you don't have transport.
The club also competes in the North Essex Cross Country League over the winter, comprising six races of about 5 miles. Cross country is a different discipline to consistently-paced road running. Many members prefer the burst of effort and varied terrain to road racing and it's surprising how fulfilling a bit of honest mud can be!
We look forward to seeing you soon. When you arrive, please ask someone to point you towards either Wayne Kern or Lorraine Garnham (Club Captains) or Julia Woolnough (Club Secretary). They will introduce you to a few people and find you a running “buddy” for your first few visits until you find your feet. You are under no obligation join immediately and we encourage try-before-you-buy for a month or two.
Halstead Road Runners are affiliated to the Essex County Amateur Athletic Association, the South of England Athletic Association and UK Athletics Limited. All paid-up members are covered by Public Liability Insurance. The minimum age for membership is 8.
Kieran Collins in full flight.
Club members manning a water station at the 2009 Great Bentley Half Marathon.
Vice Chairman Keith Thorogood presents an award to Bob Parmenter.
The Membership Secretary for 2009/10 is Don Wilson. Don will be available on the Wednesday club night and can be contacted by email donald.wilson424@btinternet.com
Please make cheques payable to Halstead Road Runners.
The membership form is attached below.
If you wish to call with questions:-
- for senior membership enquiries please call Club Captain Wayne Kern on 07801 722794
- for junior membership enquiries (8-15 year olds) please call Peri Collins 01787 223150
