Survey: what are some things that you would look for in a running club?

Bump

Group runs. Weekly runs over a variety of distances. If you get enough people you can break off into different pace groups.

Weekly Track workout. Again, if you get enough people you can have smaller groups at different paces.

Cute female members.

I was a member of CMS (Central Mass Striders) in the nineties and ought's . They had weekly 5K races all year and many other races , and track workouts , The big race was a 10 Miler in Worcester in May. They even had training runs on the course for 4 weeks before the race.

-weekly ling runs of 20+ - the group should be big enough that members are training for different goal races and there is always someone doing 20+ on the weekend

-club competition and sending a club to club nats

-track workouts for people actually running high mileage. 4xmile or 8-12 x 400 are kind of short workouts for a high mileage guy ya know

-weekly tempo runs of 10-13 miles total including warmup and cooldown

Send teams to Club XC EVERY DAMN YEAR.

Weekly long runs at the same time and starting point every, single time.

Weekly workouts that meet in the same place and time without change all year long.

Decent looking racing kit.

Any club or team that doesn't do these isn't worth a damn.

this is actually a serious answer wrote:

Cute female members.

bingo. achieve this one thing. everyone will show up and nothing else matters.

Group Running wrote:

Group runs. Weekly runs over a variety of distances. If you get enough people you can break off into different pace groups.

Weekly Track workout. Again, if you get enough people you can have smaller groups at different paces.

I'm trying to reduce the necessary level of attendance for these groups, with the option for more if there are a few particularly motivated around. I'd like to do one run a week, one workout, then maybe one other flex day that could include a 5k, long run, or just another run. Probably would start small with the workouts at first with options to go longer, but I'd just like to conjure up participation to get the ball rolling.

Groups suck.

Running is for solitude, so run alone.

ant dik wrote:

Groups suck.

Running is for solitude, so run alone.

K

relaxing atmosphere

I don't want a team, I want a club. I want cool people to run between 10-8 minute pace with and enjoy a conversation during and after. I don't want structure, I want a new route and a new beer at the end of every meet.

Teams are exclusive, Clubs are for fun and building families

AverageForFun wrote:

relaxing atmosphere

I don't want a team, I want a club. I want cool people to run between 10-8 minute pace with and enjoy a conversation during and after. I don't want structure, I want a new route and a new beer at the end of every meet.

Teams are exclusive, Clubs are for fun and building families

This articulates what I want to capture, I'm just adding in the idea of a light workout a week because some people enjoy that.

AverageForFun wrote:

relaxing atmosphere

I don't want a team, I want a club. I want cool people to run between 10-8 minute pace with and enjoy a conversation during and after. I don't want structure, I want a new route and a new beer at the end of every meet.

Teams are exclusive, Clubs are for fun and building families

Hobbyjogger alert.

I would like a relaxed attitude on club members dating , and work outs in different cities every now and then , so I could travel more . ?

From a non-competitive standpoint: a variety of ages and a decent gender ratio.

Most clubs are totally dominated by masters men. Total sausagefests with guys that are the same age as my dad. No thanks.

you can not be a hobby jogger but still want to be with hobby joggers and share the same passions

Things I wanted:

- Some interest in running track meets, not just road races

- Group runs or workouts twice per week

- A competitive spirit - for example, we kept club records and top-10 lists, and we also competed in our state's USATF Grand Prix road series against other clubs

- An active website is nice, with race results, pictures, updated top-10 lists, maybe a discussion forum where people are actually talking

I see other people in this thread want a relaxing atmosphere. That's fine, I've seen some clubs that are mostly relaxed, but then also have the competitive opportunities for those who want them.

People who run.

Just some suggestions - you may want to try to cultivate a relationship with your LRS. The LRS has an interest in having more members in your club, because that means more people running regularly and buying more shoes/gear. If you can get a discount at the LRS for club members, that would make your club more attractive to potential members, and the LRS might also help get the word out about your club. The store probably would get you mostly new/social runners, but if you get enough of the former, some will become serious. If you want to concentrate on reasonably serious/fast runners, you could let the store know, and it might steer some of them your way. Our town's LRS recently joined Fleet Feet and doesn't give club members discounts any more, but there's still a lot of cooperation between the store and the club (e.g., group runs start and end at the store and often unwind afterwards at the coffee shop owned by the store's owner). You also could try to set up a table at local 5Ks to attract members, ideally while they see club members wearing your singlet at the race.

To avoid the all-masters-male problem and get some somewhat fast runners, you could publicize the club at the nearest college. You might even ask the xc coach to point your way would-be walk-ons who aren't really good enough to compete but want to keep training.