FAQ’S
Are you interested in becoming a member of Blyth Running Club? Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.
Is Blyth Running Club a fully affiliated club?
Blyth Running Club is a fully affiliated club and as a member you will be given a North of England Amateur Athletics Number which entitles you to enter a race as a "club runner" and save on the "unattached runner" levy charged at races.
Does Blyth Running Club offer members places in races such as the Great North Run and the London Marathon?
To gain entry to the Great North Run, London Marathon and other races you have to apply like anybody else (the only exception being that London offers 1 or 2 places direct to the club, these are allocated by lottery to members who applied but did not get an entry). We do organise subsided travel to these and other races.
Do members who enter races gain access to the start amongst the club runners?
Unless you are an elite athlete (ie invited to run) at most races you have to take your start place along with everybody else, but since the start "grid" is usually organised based on predicted finishing time you may well be near the front along with a lot of other club runners.
If I am interested in joining can I come along and run a couple of times before deciding whether to join?
If you are interested in joining you can come along and run with us for a couple of weeks before joining. There are two options; either come along ready changed and just meet in the foyer with everybody by the notice board. Introduce yourself to any runner, and they will point you in the right direction.
I'm not really into running races can I still join and run to keep fit?
Yes, we have a lot of runners who do not do races but just run to keep fit and enjoy just running with other people. Also, we have a social side to the club where we organise social/race nights with other Clubs in the area and arrange nights out after low-
I'm new to running -
We try very hard to accommodate runners of all abilities, however before coming down to the Club you should ideally be able to run three or four miles without collapsing! On any given Club night there will invariably be people down for a slower, shorter run; these groups would be best suited for beginners to join up with.
What kind of training do you do during your Monday and Wednesday runs?
The training nights are flexible, groups of people will go off and do a variety of different routes and distances, just tag along with one of the groups once a route has been decided on. Alternately, if you are at a more advanced level you could join the runners who are following the Club's training schedule, usually if they are preparing for an event. This training schedule is listed elsewhere on this site, and is usually posted several weeks in advance.
Do you do track work?
In the summer months runners wishing to do intervals often arrange to meet at Churchill track at Monkseaton to do a "proper" interval session, usually on a Monday (instead of doing intervals around the streets).
Do you meet on any other nights?
A small number meet on a Sunday morning at around 08:45, usually for a longer, slower run. Many Club members arrange to run together at other times through the week, depending on where they live and who they can keep up with!