RunTogether Canterbury

Key Information for Runners, Jeffers and Walkers

 

PLEASE READ AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR

Our webpage                          https://clubspark.englandathletics.org/RunTogetherCanterbury

Emily’s number                      07770 479589

 

Who are we?

RunTogether has been created by England Athletics to provide fun, friendly, supportive, and inclusive running opportunities for everyone in England. All groups, including ours, are led by trained and insured Run Leaders. 

The groups across the country share a common theme: they are there to help the local community to exercise safely with others, which can provide motivation, guidance and support and make it more fun.

RunTogether Canterbury is was founded in 2021 by Emily, a working mum of two, who likes to run trails, run with people, and chat and who decided that Canterbury needed a running group whose ethos was to improve social capital in an inclusive, friendly, safe environment.  Since its creation it has seen over 50 people through the couch to 5k and has expanded to provide exercise sessions for walkers, runners and most recently a jeffing group for those wanting to improve their fitness, improve muscle development, improve recovery time all whilst enjoying a conversation!

Our group, which now consists of 6 Run Leaders, 2 Mental Health Champions and 2 Run Helpers, is a little different in that we offer sessions for walkers through to some very quick runners.  Our run groups require fitness to run continuously at a gentle pace for approx. 35 – 40 minutes and our speed group run at approx a 5.30 per km pace.  We understand that this demands a certain level of fitness, so, to accommodate everyone who wants to run, we lead an annual couch to 5k group each New Year and a regular jeffing group who run and walk in 30:30 second ratio blocks socially every Thursday.  The walking and jeffing groups provide an excellent way to either start or improve your fitness journey safely enough to be able to join the Thursday social group as a regular jeffer or regular runner. In addition, our Wanderers Walking group supports anyone wanting to move more, improve fitness and make some friends in a safe environment.

 

Where and when do we run and walk?

For the Runners and Jeffers

We are first and foremost a social exercise group meeting weekly on a Thursday night year-round for a regular run or jeffing session.  Monday nights are Speedplay sessions during the Summer months during term time, and Tuesdays see the speedy group out around the City.  We often meet at a Parkrun or for a trail run on a Saturday around Canterbury and the local area. We like to get involved in  local events, both running and supporting by marshalling or manning water stations.  If in doubt about where to start, join a Thursday night run or jeffing session - our preferred speed is slow enough to be able to chat whilst we are out!

During the summer months, we alternate our Thursday social run/jeffing night locations between trail running at Blean Woods and road running around the city loop in the coach park next door to the big Sainburys in the City.

During the winter months we are generally confined to the City loop, where we meet again in the Coach park next to Sainsburys, and benefit from the street lighting.

Keep an eye on the website or app for updates about available upcoming run sessions and their locations. 

For the walkers

On the last Sunday of the month, we lead a qualified Run leader-led led walk somewhere on the outskirts of Canterbury,  taking in some of our beautiful countryside and woodlands.  You will be led around a loop of approx 4 - 6k, which will start and finish at a car park near a cafe/pub where we can get refreshments afterwards.  We try to make sure our refreshments include cake, but we can't always promise this! 

Our walks are risk assessed, and we like to make sure that they are suitable for anyone fit enough to walk approximately 3-4 miles.  Walks will include various terrains; we will walk in a variety of weather conditions, and you may be climbing stiles en route, so be prepared with sturdy, waterproof footwear when the weather is unpredictable. We walk at a leisurely pace and no faster than our slowest walker.  As with all our runs and walks, they are social opportunities first and foremost, and nobody gets left behind. 

 

Booking/cancelling your runs or walks

You are required to register and book your runs or walks ahead of time wherever possible. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, to ensure that we have medical and emergency details for you, regardless of whether you are with someone who knows these details.  Secondly, it helps your Run Leader to know who is coming along ahead of the session, allowing them to effectively plan the session, so please do this in plenty of time. Please make sure your registration information is complete and kept up to date - we may rely on it in an emergency. You only need to register once, and then booking is quick and easy using the website or the RunTogether Runner app.

If you need to cancel, you can also do this through the RunTogether Runner app or the website. Please do do this if you can no longer attend as there are maximum numbers allowed at each session, so you will be freeing up a space for someone else to book.

 

Trail running

Trail running is different to road running in that the terrain is more varied and requires a different level of concentration. The ground can be wet and slippery, so good shoes with decent tread will help you navigate the paths and prevent slips and falls. We ask that you carry a phone and insist you remain in your group and don't separate. There are risks associated with trail running, but these can be mitigated by good preparation.

 

Conduct

We are a social group as opposed to a competitive group of runners, and our aim is for the sessions to be fun, friendly, supportive, inclusive and above all else, safe.

We aim to stay together during our run, jeff and walk sessions, but if the group is large, we may split into two smaller groups, a faster group and a slower group, and this will be organised at the start with a Run Leader nominated to lead each group. Our ethos is to look after each other and ensure that no one is left behind. Please be mindful about who you are with and take care of each other.

For your safety, group etiquette dictates that:

  • We are group runners and walkers, so the aim is to run or walk as a group.
  • Your Run Leader will be leading from the back of the group; if there are two Run Leaders, one will lead, and one will tail.
  • If you run ahead, please loop back to the Run Leader regularly to ensure no one goes off course.  We ask that you do not run ahead and leave the group behind, as others may follow you and end up separated from the main group.
  • When only 1 Run Leader is available, only the shorter route will be available (approx.. 5k), and we will ask that you follow as requested above.
  • No one to run or walk alone.

Please be polite and respectful of your fellow runners and walkers, chat to new group members, remember your first session with the group and tap into that anxiety you might have felt.  

 

Clothing

We recommend that you dress appropriately for your run/jog/walk, wearing shoes suitable for the terrain and weather conditions. If you need any advice, please contact us ahead of your first session. If you are trail running, ensure you wear shoes with good tread.

During dark sessions in the winter months, we request that you wear something to make you visible to traffic and pedestrians. Hi-vis clothing, reflective clothing, and chest or head torches are all recommended. If you need any advice on where or what to buy, please let a Run Leader know. The group get discounts with some local suppliers and can point you in the right direction without breaking the bank. 

We recommend you carry a bag of spare clothes, shoes and a towel in the boot of the car in case of a particularly wet run, you’ll appreciate it when you least expect it!

 

Hydration 

Please ensure you hydrate before a session.  If you choose to carry water, this is fine and recommended in hot weather. Always keep a bottle of water in the car for afterwards, too!

 

Safety

We request that you carry a mobile phone in case of emergency = Emily's number is at the top of this document; you can also contact all members via Slack. We try to avoid splitting the group, but if we know there is a disparity in ability, it may happen, and your Run Leader will manage this appropriately. 

As mentioned above, for your safety and the safety of others, please dress to be visible to traffic and pedestrians in the winter.

If it has snowed or is icy, we will cancel the session unless a suitable, safe location can be found. This is a RunTogether rule and one I agree with, having injured myself in the past while running in the snow.

Risk assessements have been written for each of the routes to try to take into account as many eventualities as possible however, common sense prevails, so please be sensible whilst attending one of our sessions. 

 

First Aid and Emergencies

In the unlikely and unfortunate event of an emergency, your Run Leader will have access to a first aid kit to deal with minor injuries. If anyone has an accident or falls, the incident will be appropriately managed by your Run Leaders and Run Helpers. If you are first on the scene, please respond appropriately. If an ambulance is needed, please call 999 immediately.  

Your Run Leaders are first aid trained, but as a back-up if you suspect Cardiac Arrest: - Unconscious, unresponsive and not breathing or not breathing properly call 999.

In this case, the operator will talk you through what you need to do to start CPR and tell you where the nearest defibrillator is, but from my local research, AEDs or Artificial External Defibrillators are accessible at the following locations in and around the City. I will keep an eye on this and update periodically.

  • Job Centre, Canterbury
  • Canterbury East Station (available 24/7)
  • Canterbury West Station (available 24/7)
  • Pilgrims Hospice on London Road (available 24/7)
  • Lime Tree Cafe, next door to Sainsbury's on  Old Dover Road
  • The Old Gate in at the top of Old and New Dover Road
  • Tesco Express by the Premier Inn
  • McDonalds (available 24/7)
  • St Peter's Methodist Church (available 24/7)
  • Friends Meeting House by the  Marlowe Theatre (available 24/7)
  • Canterbury Christchurch University (available 24/7)
  • University of Kent Sports Pavilion
  • Canterbury Fire Station, Upper Bridge Street (available 24/7)
  • Cathedral precincts behind Cathedral Gates
  • The Beaney Institute, High Street
  • Marlowe Theatre, The Friars
  • Canterbury City Council, Military Road
  • Tesco Metro, City Centre
  • Waitrose, Canterbury
  • Mint Yard Gate to King's School, Northgate (Opposite Possilipo Restaurant)

BLEAN WOODS

  • Blean Village Hall (available 24/7)
  • University of Kent Sports Pavillion (available 24/7)

I understand this is a terrifying situation to find yourself in, but we CAN try to save a life in an emergency, so if you would like to familiarise and reassure yourself about how to use an AED, please watch this extremely straightforward video by clicking this British Heart Foundation guidance.

 

Warm up and warm down.

At each run, we will encourage you to do some static stretches to warm up.  We will start at a slow pace and increase to our regular running speed.

After the run, we usually stay for a few minutes to chat and stretch, but if you're in a hurry to get away, please speak to Emily about a good warm down and stretch routine you can do when you get home... before you sit down on the sofa!

 

Social Media and Photos

Those who know Emily know she takes photos of everything all the time, especially a group shot, the 'sweaty selfie' at the end of each run.  Walks are no different - there will be photos, just a little less sweaty! These photos are regularly uploaded to the Instagram group @runtogethercanterbury, the Facebook page and occasionally to our website https://clubspark.englandathletics.org/RunTogetherCanterbury.

If you do not want to be in photos, please do say so; you are welcome to duck out, otherwise, I will assume you are ok with this and go ahead with the posts. If I post anything you aren’t happy about again, please let me know, and I will edit or take the post down.

 

Contact details

If you need to contact me, my number is 07770479589 or email runtogethercanterbury@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can also fill in the contact us page on the RunTogether Canterbury webpage.

Emily