Fun Runners
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Is this for you?
For many years Athletics East has catered for a wide range of running abilities and personal goals. For members who just want to get fit, lose weight but not compete, or for those who want to increase their fitness level and compete in the local fun runs and other races, then Athletics East has active walking and running groups. The Club refers to these members as the “fun runners” because nobody has thought of a better name, even though some may never run a fun run and others take it very seriously! The membership of these groups traverses the spectrum of ages from late teens through to the seventies.
Training sessions
Walkers. Saturdays, 8am. The walking group enjoys the benefits of low impact exercise with the improved health that regular exercise can bring. The walkers meet every Saturday at the playground car park inside the Paddington Gates at Centennial Park and usually cover 5km each session. In warmer weather they are likely to have a 7:30am start to beat the heat. There is no charge for the session other than the cost of brekkie. Prospective members should confirm start time by contacting AE Committee at athleticseast.aus@gmail.com
Runners have a choice of running sessions: Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays.
Saturdays, 8am (7:30am in warmer weather) meeting at the Paddington Gates playground car park, Centennial Park. This is the main session and usually attracts a sizeable number of runners, not the least because of the club breakfast afterwards. A core group runs a minimum of 5km, and another group runs longer distances (10km up to 20km depending on what they are training for). The longer distance group runs a variety of courses around the Park, City, Bondi and Eastern Suburbs under the guidance of an experienced group leader. Many of the runners are preparing for specific events such as the Sydney Half Marathon and City to Surf. For the group running the longer distances the start time may vary depending upon the season, temperature and distance to be run, so members are notified by email or through the blog as to what’s happening. There are set training plans to suit the various fun run events. For example, the training program for the Sydney Half Marathon in May begins in March. In this program the distance is slowly increased from 10km over a 10 week period in a training plan prepared by the club coaches. Traditionally, most runners and walkers go for a social breakfast after their Saturday exercise. There is no charge for the Saturday sessions other than the cost of brekkie. Prospective members should confirm start time by contacting Julia Szymanski on 0425 331 981.
Mondays, 6:30pm training with coach Wayne Morgan at the Paddington Gates, Centennial Park. This is a 60 minute running and exercise session covering various facets of fun running from intervals, hills, speed, long and short distance as well as improvement of running technique. Each week is different and each session can be tailored for the member’s ability. It’s a great opportunity for members who want to improve their general fitness but who do not want or who cannot afford a personal trainer. Runners should wear light coloured clothing and bring water. A $5 coaching fee applies. Confirm details by contacting Wayne Morgan on 0416 251 681.
Thursdays, 6:00pm training with coach Ken Cross at the track at ES Marks Athletic Field at Moore Park. The sessions focuses on intervals training in order to build aerobic capacity and speed. We use dynamic warmups and finish with jogging and stretching. Training is customised to your fitness level. A $5 coaching fee applies, plus $5.50 to enter ES Marks. Confirm details by contacting Ken Cross on 0404 815 700.
In addition, as mentioned on the track and field page and the cross country page there are training sessions under the guidance of the club’s head coach Peter Good. A number of the fun runners attend these sessions which are tailored to the needs of the individuals.
Competition
All AE members are eligible to run in the Club’s various events, including the annual cross country race and the Club’s Tony Brown memorial road race. All of these events are run to encourage participation, are eagerly anticipated by the members and are heavily supported, in part because they are both followed by a very social breakfast.
Athletics East members have also participated in a wide variety of non-Club races over the years, including City to Surf, Sutherland to Surf, Mothers Day Race, Sri Chinmoy races, Sydney Half Marathon, Blackmores Sydney Running Festival (9km Bridge Run, Half Marathon and Marathon) Gold Coast Half Marathon (in which Athletics East has fielded a team for many years), New York Marathon, London Marathon and the Six Foot Track Marathon.
Athletics East fun runners who are also registered with Athletics New South Wales (ANSW) can in addition compete in the events mentioned on the track and field page and cross country page.
Coaches
The Club has five Athletics New South Wales accredited coaches of various levels, all of whom actively support Club members irrespective of the age or ability level of the member.
