Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q. Can children attend junior sessions before joining the club?
  • A. Yes. Children are very welcome to come along and find out if they enjoy what we do. We register them as guests so they are included in our safeguarding responsibilities. Please contact Nicki at Clubpal membership to let us know they are coming.
  • Q. How do you place new members into the appropriate group?
  • A. It helps if children have run at junior or senior parkrun and can tell us of their latest finish time. This allows us to have an idea of their level of running fitness. If this is not possible they will be placed in a group according to their age for a few sessions until we have a clearer idea of which group would be best for them.
  • Q. How do children move to another group?
  • A. Sometimes children ask to be able to run with their friends which we allow if feasible. The coaches keep a profile on each junior charting their times over a range of distances. This is used for the awarding of badges and is a useful guide to allocating children to another more appropriate group.
  • Q. Do children have to take part in races?
  • A. No. For some children running in competition with others is fun. However others find it intimidating. We encourage children to enjoy running and gain confidence in their ability to improve. Success is measured by this improvement. Our club events aim to be a gentle introduction to competition developing skills of pace management and mastery of the more technical aspects of performance.
  • Q. Will running help children who do lots of other sports and activities?
  • A. Yes. Running is a fundamental part of fitness and will enhance the children’s enjoyment in other sports. England Athletics encourage children to be involved a wide range of sports and to develop a life long enjoyment of active participation in sport.
  • Q. How do I encourage my teenager to keep active with the club?
  • A. The teenage years are particularly challenging for young people. Developmental changes often result in hormonal and physiological adjustments in the body which can lead to a fall in running fitness and performance. We know that they are growing into more mature and stronger bodies but this takes time. It can be a very discouraging and confusing time for them. This can coincide with the additional stress of examinations and other demands on their time and energy. We attempt to maintain strong peer groups within the club where friendships can sustain participation. We also offer older children leadership roles within the sessions where they take responsibility for younger runners. This places the focus on all they know and can do rather than the difficulties they may be experiencing.  They can use their involvement with the club as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award which can give further encouragement to keep coming to the club.
  • Q. How do I buy a club vest for my child?
  • A. There is a range of kit available for purchase (link here). These can be ordered through the email hidden; JavaScript is requiredand then collected from the coaches on a club night. There are a range of sample sizes which can be tried on to ensure the best fit. Club hoodies can also be bought. It is best to have the hoodie personalised with the child’s name embroidered as it makes it easier to identify from others.
  • Q. My child runs regularly at parkruns and other running events but their name is not mentioned in the club results in the weekly club email ?
  • A. To ensure that the Club’s Results Officer identifies Parkrun results you must update their Parkrun Profile to link it to the BRJ Run and Tri Club. For all other (non Parkrun) events you should also ensure that their entry details mentions that they are a BRJ member. By ensuring a link to the club is included, the child will then also be automatically entered into a number of competitions that the Club runs over the year. It also helps the Club coaches to continually assess a Child’s performance levels to ensure they are placed in the correct group.