Fulham Running Club is proud to present an update on our coaching initiatives by Bob Empson, our Coaching Development Officer. In this blog post, Bob dives deeper into the exciting developments at FRC Coaching, including the establishment of a Coaching Group, the success of our recent training squads, and plans for the future. Let's get started!
Hello FRC! I'm excited to share an update on our progress and plans for coaching at the club. In July last year we decided to give coaching some impetus so that there could be more support for members to, for example: achieve personal goals, try new forms of running (eg trails; middle distance), become licenced coaches & leaders, and improve running skills/knowledge. Below I outline just some of what we have done and what's planned.
Establishing a coaching group: Setting goals & sharing knowledge
We established a Coaching Group of qualified coaches and leaders (and folk who hoped to become qualified at some stage). The group has met 4 times to discuss the club's goals for coaching, to plan coaching initiatives and to learn through sharing of coaching ideas, information, etc
We agreed some goals to be delivered by March 2025. Goals include:
to have at least 5 qualified coaches in the club, including at least 2 women
50% of Full Members to have participated in some sort of coached activity
Building a strong coaching team: Qualified coaches & leaders
We launched a new grant scheme to provide financial support to members who wished to qualify as a Coach Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF) or as a Leader Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF).
We now have 5 England Athletics licenced CiRF coaches and 2 more are likely to qualify in the coming months (and both these are women). This is in addition to the existing 12 Leaders LiRF (with 3 more expected to qualify imminently)
Squad Goals: Training programs for different running styles
Last summer we arranged 5 weekend trail running outings to the South and North Downs
A Trail Squad was launched last autumn with a 10 week programme culminating in a very popular half-marathon trail race on a crisp, cold morning in early December
The club's fourth 10k Squad was launched in February with an 8 week programme towards a target 10k race in Battersea on 13 April.
The club's first Couch to 5k C25K group is currently recruiting to kick-off shortly after Easter! Look out for the posts on FB and Instagram... do you know anyone who would like to join!?
We are exploring interest in Middle Distance running (that's 800m, 1,500m and mile) with the possibility of arranging an evening at the indoor track at Lee Valley either in April or next winter (see the post on here).
Looking ahead: Exciting plans for the future
Some initiatives for the near future include:
Launching and testing interest in a Middle Distance squad and a programme of events during the summer
Arranging another series of weekend trail runs during the summer/early autumn (on the S & N Downs again and hopefully also the beautiful Ridgeway ancient trail).
Launching a Marathon Squad for those signed up for autumn marathons.
Couch to 5K launches in local community
We're thrilled to announce the launch of our first Couch to 5k (C25K) group, starting shortly after Easter! Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages for recruitment details. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who knows someone that wants to try running their first 5km! If you know of anyone that may be keen, send them the link below.
A big thank you & how to get involved
A huge thanks to all the coaches/leaders/others who have been involved in arranging these initiatives!
If you would like to know more about any of these activities/plans, please reach out to Bob Empson using the contact form.
Not an EA member? Now is your chance to join!
If you are not yet an EA Registered member of the club, you would need to join to be able to participate in most of these activities for just £29/year!
Written by Bob Empson, FRC Coaching Development Officer