Chichester Runners runs training sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.30pm, plus Wednesdays at noon and Fridays at 10.30am. Training locations are spread around Chichester, but Oaklands Park is the usual spot in summer and for the daytime sessions. See below for more details.
Come For a Try Out
We welcome new members, wherever they are on their running journey. If you want to come along to try some training sessions before you decide whether to join then Contact Us and we will arrange that with you.
Our Training Groups
We have weekly training sessions to cover every kind of runner, from people who have just got off their couch right up to those who compete for places in events or run ultra-marathons.
Most club training involves a warm up, a main session, a cool down with stretches and lasts about an hour. The out-of-breath part is usually about 30 mins. Members are welcome to come to as many training sessions as they can cope with.
Every training session is supervised by Coaches and Run Leaders who are qualified, licensed and insured by UK Athletics.
Amanda T’s Cake Run Foundation Group
Monday evening, usually Chi Rugby Club (summer) or Chi College (winter)
The Cake Run to its friends. The Foundation Group if England Athletics are looking.
Just got to 5k? Getting over an injury? Prefer social running to pushing for performance? Then this is the group for you.
Led by an experienced Coach, the group will follow a program of structured training that will improve your running without stretching you to the limit. And cake might happen sometimes.
Jim’s session
Monday evening, Chi Rugby Club (all year)
Our most demanding training group.
For intermediate/developing runners looking to work hard and build stamina and speed as part of structured preparation for all middle to long distance events. Suggested approx Parkrun time 17:30 to 23:30
Tony M & Winston’s mixed ability group
Monday evening, different locations each week
A relaxed, friendly session for middling runners of every sort. If 5k is OK, but you aren’t contending for medals then you’ll fit right in. And will gradually get closer to that person you were chasing. Suggested approx Parkrun time 22:30 to 30:00
We plan a range of activities over a few months, including mixed pace running, reps, fartlek, paarlauf, pyramids and hill work. To avoid getting too stuck in a rut, we move around and don’t always meet in the same place every week. Keep an eye on Spond.
Tom’s Monday Session
Monday evening, near the Festival Theatre (summer) or Chi College (winter)
A mixed ability group that likes to make good use of the slope in Oaklands Park in summer and the paths at Chi College and around Parklands in winter.
Nad’s Traditional 60 Minute Training Session
Tuesday evening, Chi Rugby Club (all year)
Our Tuesday evening group is for everyone that enjoys running and wants to have fun training in a supportive and developing environment. We will be following training plans with adaptations, focusing on form, pace and endurance.
Tony and Sasha’s Daylight Session
Wednesday lunchtime, Chi Rugby Club (all year)
A daytime session. Open to all abilities. We are an all inclusive group, fast, not so fast, beginner, everyone can join in. We run mostly on grass, on hot days in shade, on wet days we can use paths. We make it up depending on weather conditions on the day. Come along.
Thursday Social Run
Thursday evening, Chi Rugby Club (summer) or Chi College (winter)
A friendly and inclusive session for those who wish to train and socialise with others. Thursday sessions will be group runs with the option of a ~5km route or a slightly longer ~4 mile route. These sessions are suitable for those newer to running.
Although we try to plan routes that are fairly well lit, we recommend high vis clothing and/or head/body torches during the winter months.
Track Thursdays with Amanda G
Thursday evening, Mountbatten Centre (winter) or Bishop Luffa School (summer).
Track sessions, for runners who wish to improve their 5k and 10k times. Each session will have a 10/15 minute dynamic warm up which will include drills and short accelerations. Each week there will be a different main session that can be adapted to enable all abilities to attend.
Nad’s Friday Morning Training
Friday morning, Chi Rugby Club (all year)
The Friday morning group is for everyone that enjoys running and wants to have fun training in a supportive and developing environment. We will be following training plans with adaptations, focusing on form, pace and endurance. Option of coffee and a chat afterwards.
Spond
Club members use an app called Spond to book training and trail run places. The app can also be used for communications with and between members.
Once you have installed the app (for Apple or Android), register and then click the link on the new member info page that you will see when you join online. Once you are on the system, you will get invites to everything we do.
It is a good idea to go to the ‘Push notifications’ part of your profile in the app and change the settings to make Spond less attention seeking. The default alert settings will drive you nuts.
Chichester Runners doesn’t take payments through Spond, so there is no need to save your card details in the app.
How We Do Things
- Everyone who is registered on Spond should be able to see all the current training groups here
- If you need help picking the right group for you, ask one of the run leaders or hit Contact Us
- If you want to try a faster/slower/different group then that’s absolutely fine. We’re all friends
- If you don’t get invites to a group, just contact the leader and ask to be added
- You should be able to take yourself off the list from within Spond
- The leaders sometimes adjust their plans depending on who is coming to the session. Bailing out at the last-minute upsets those plans, so please don’t make a habit of it.
- Be visible, particularly in winter. Wear hi-viz clothing and consider getting a running light.
- Yes, training does carry on if it’s raining or cold!
- Ice and snow might raise questions, though
- If you are injured, ill or just really tired then give training a miss. Don’t make it worse
- Let the leader know if you are injured at training, so that they can fill in the right forms
- The Run Leader’s decision on whether the group or an individual should train is final
