Running Events – A Brief Introduction

One of the most satisfying and motivational aspects of running is the participation in a wide variety of events, local and beyond. This is of course a common trait across a variety of sports, and in many activities an ‘informal event’ is how people get into sport, become to like it, and decide to undertake some formal training at a later point – soccer and volleyball are examples. There are of course folks who run for fitness and enjoyment, and don’t necessarily seek the competitive nature of an event. For others, they may have no intention of becoming ‘a runner’ but want to fundraise and raise awareness of their campaigns. All are valid reasons, and we shall look at a range of event options and routes towards joining these.

What Distance and Terrain?

Most runners are introduced to the endurance end of running, and I’m using the term loosely here as there are aspects of endurance in some of the shorter track distances as well. Five kilometres has been the established benchmark to aim for beginner runners, with apps and local run events typically featuring this distance. I’d add that it is the probably the time typically taken to run a 5km distance that makes it popular. A shorter distance would be over too quickly for many regular runners, and for newer and regular runners alike, an easy 5km provides the sensation of a good workout, yet short enough to complete in a lunch hour, or before or after daily activities. Some folks find they are better suited to the track and shorter distances, and there are track-based clubs that point interested parties in the right direction if runners want to pursue these events.

In training terms for adults who are some way removed from school athletics, 5km provides a distance which can be progressed towards at a steady pace with limited technical knowledge, with speed developed later on, enabling the event to be a challenging one for all abilities. With the widespread availability of free events such as fun runs and park runs, these represent an accessible way to take in the enjoyment and thrills of run events. Depending on the level of the participant’s fitness, these may be tackled directly, possibly running part of the way, or running and walking. These informal events can be on a range of terrains - grass, muddy trails, hard trails, tarmac etc - which all add to the variety and challenge, and can be hilly or flat, in a variety of temperatures and weather conditions, depending on the location.

Our Freerun events started on a predominantly hilly, grassy course at Oaks Park, which involved three-and-a-half ascents of a quite long, steady hill section. It was run by runners of a wide spectrum of abilities, and I remember one regular runner who disliked even short rises, ascend with finesse after practice. For more experienced runners, the course could be completed in a surprisingly rewarding time with the 'leave something for the third loop' mantra proving helpful! We moved to a flatter, faster predominantly-grassy course at Overton Park. Being quite open and exposed, the wind direction had an interesting impact on the speed and effort to complete certain sections. It proved an excellent option for our time-trial events (runners starting at intervals against the clock) as runners could easily see those is front (and behind), enabling some interesting and fun 'hare and hound' type scenarios for pacing!

Beddington Park, however, has been our main venue for sometime now. We used a picturesque, multi-terrain course which introduced the enjoyment and well-being aspects of being closer to nature. Currently, we use a fast, flat course almost entirely on tarmac which has provided reliable and consistent running within the rigours of winter weather. For more information on our current course and to sign up for our events, please head to https://www.freerun.org.uk/events-sign-up.

Paid Run Events

For a more formal run event experience, some runners look forward to signing up to the many paid events on offer. Often these will cover 10km, half-marathon and marathon distances, with distances less (or more) and in between being also popular. In towns and cities these are frequently on the road and pavement surfaces, while in rural areas more trail and fell-type events are expected, making use of the beautiful scenery and terrain. Entry costs range from a few pounds to well over £100, and factoring in accommodation, travel and other expenses for non-local and overseas events, it can be quite an investment. For this reason, may folks dovetail some form of holiday if travelling far for an event.

Well-publicised larger events have their own websites for entry and information, and there are listing organisations discoverable by internet search, where you can search for runs of a given distance or terrain in your area. Running clubs can provide an excellent, cost-effective basis for folks wanting to run regular events; many of these are open only to club entrants, with other events forming part of a wider public offering.

My First Event!

A question that often presents is: which event to go for first? For endurance runners, the preferred option would be to progress gradually to 5km, then 10km, and if you'd like to, half-marathon and beyond. This is mainly to build up the runner's fitness and strength, as well as other aspects of their experience. Longer distances aren't necessarily 'better', as different distances provide a different training challenge and can be as hard and as easy as you'd like. Plenty of experienced and faster endurance runners opt not to complete a marathon for a variety of reasons, and focus on advancing at their preferred distances.

Of course, for some the desire to complete a longer distance is a strong one, and perhaps in the era of charity fundraising, completing a distance landmark without a specific time target is a far more popular option in a sponsorship campaign. This is probably because of the increased likelihood of success and the avoidance of unnecessary perceived expectations from sponsors and the runner to achieve a time target that becomes unrealistic. There is also a 'bucket list' element to completing a distance or big event, which often focuses around the longer distances. Indeed, some runners may simply be more adept at being able to run for a long time as their strength, with time perhaps of less importance, and this becomes their chosen focus.

Coached and Uncoached Training

Many runners happily undertake their running with the minimum of formal training, and in many ways, the beauty of its simplicity is what makes running a staple in many exercise routines. Particularly for those of a general active lifestyle and perhaps undertaking other regular exercise activities, achieving the 'gateway' endurance distance of 5km is not too difficult. As the runner progresses, both in speed and distance, the scenario becomes more interesting. At this point I'll share some personal reflections for background.

As an adult, I'd been active, although this was mainly through cycling, rock climbing and other pastimes. I entered a period where for various reasons, I stopped doing regular exercise. A couple of friends were doing cycling and running events and I started to think about going along with them. I joined a cycling club and, about the same time, did around 3 or 4 km at the end of a local 5km event. I felt 5km was achievable with a bit of practice, and a few friends were running at a local 5km park run, so I joined them. The mix of cycling and weekly 5km events got me hooked to sport again, and before long I was reading books and articles to develop my own training. For the running, I started with the most basic kit - hand-down trainers, casual wear and a cheap 'no thrills' stopwatch. I found this was enough to make some good initial improvements in 5km times, but after only a few events, problems materialised.

I developed a range of 'niggles' and probably these were the result of not really understanding much about training, trying to progress too quickly, poor rehabilitation and unsuitable footwear. The result was 'yo-yo' progress where I had a cycle of rehabilitation, re-training, improvement and injury. I eventually learned how these were caused and how to correct, and importantly, reduce the risk of them reoccurring.

So would folks benefit from some form of coaching? As a coach, of course I would say, yes, although there are a variety of ways to achieve this, with some typical examples below:

- Self-coaching: this is where you read books, internet articles, devise your own training plan and execute, evaluate and update the plan; repeat.

- Running club or group classes: the runner participates in a mixed-ability group session led by a run leader or coach providing general running fitness and technical progression.

- One-to-one coaching: a runner undertakes a run assessment, including goals and lifestyle commitments. This identifies their strengths and weaknesses and a plan is formulated by the coach to determine a suitable training plan to tackle their running goals.

Going down the list of the three options above, the coaching influence increases. The first option enables runners to make a start; the second option can help them progress, and is particularly good for those that benefit from the motivation of being in a group. I'd suggest this is a good idea early in your running journey through a supportive beginner programme.

Later on when you are comfortable in your running, say up to a 5km level, you may find you reach a plateau and find it difficult to run faster and/or longer. One-to-one coaching can help here, as it can identify the areas needed to focus on either improvement area, introduce new enhancements to improve your running enjoyment and performance, and devise sessions to provide the best improvements to achieve your goals. The last element is important, as without some idea of a target, as in other areas of our lives, endeavours become fragmented and can blow us off course. These programmes are flexible in that the runner doesn't need to attend a class and can choose a time of their suiting, although of course they should try to follow the programme as closely as possible for the eight-week block to maximise the benefit.

For the reasons above, I developed Freerun from solely an events provider to an events and training provider, to cater for a wider spectrum of those interested in running:

- Start 5K - this is our course for those who are beginners or who have not run for a while. Traditionally the challenge with this type of course is not so much the different ability levels but starting everyone from the same point and the need to start at a given date and attend each class. So Start 5K has been developed to overcome each of these issues. It offers a rolling start date, the runner does not need to attend every class as the plan for the week(s) they are away is made available in advance, and a new starter's current level is assessed so they join the 8-week programme at the suitable juncture. The value of undertaking the course is to provide runners with the drills, technical knowledge and other elements to enhance their own runs outside the class, and therefore develop good practice and sustainable fitness.

- Speed 5K - this was first one-to-one programme Freerun offered, as there are folk who tend to do 5km as their regular distance and may seek help to improve their performance, or indeed for those finishing the Start 5K course and wanting to progress to the next level. At this point, a bespoke programme, as explained above, can provide an efficient means to gaining sustainable progress in the shortest time frame, if the runner is willing to follow a training plan.

- Sustain 10K+ - this is the second of our one-to-one programmes and, as the name suggests, is all about helping the runner move on to longer distances beyond 5km and achieve a successful attainment at such a distance. Many candidates will have an event in mind, and the programme also caters for those who have run the longer distance and want to enhance their performance.

- Freerun Circuits - our standalone programme for runners of a range of abilities. These sessions aim to maintain and enhance general running fitness, and introduce some new elements runners may like to introduce in their routines such as drills, strength & conditioning etc. The idea is to improve the general enjoyment and enhance the running experience of a range of runners at different levels. As the 'standalone' tag suggests, these sessions are undertaken as often as the runner would like as part of their general training regime, or for those looking to improve their general fitness with some running included.

Head to https://www.freerun.org.uk/run-classes-training for more information and to sign up!

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