Club Organised Running Group & Track Policy

Club Organised Running Group & Track Policy

The Club Risk Assessment for organised running groups assesses the possible risks and the strategies employed by this policy to mitigate against the risks incurred during a regular organised running group session. This Club Policy should be applied to all organised Grouped Running sessions which are based around urban routes. Each Group leader should assess the risks associated with their actual session in conjunction with the policy set out below.

Group Leaders (GL):

• Groups are broken down into ability levels and numbers within Groups should be kept to a manageable and safe level for the type of activity planned and ability of each Group and the GL.
• GL are all to be qualified and insured to Lead a Running Group by attending and passed an EA Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) Course; followed by Group Leader mentoring supervised by the
• Club Senior Coach. Temporary Grandfather rights are granted to current GL to continue leading groups until they have passed and hold and active LiRF qualification. This temporary arrangement extends to the end of the 2022-2023 EA which will end 31 Mar 2023.
• A GL needs to be a Fully Paid up Membership with sufficient experience of running in Groups.
• GL need to be identifiable during their organised runs. Methods employed can be left to the GL until a Club solution has been agreed and deployed to GL
• GL should either carry a mobile phone or know of runner in their Group who has a mobile phone for use in an Emergency incident.
• Routes are to be planned and checked beforehand by GL and adapted according the seasonal and enduring weather conditions.
• Each GL:
  • At the start of each session should:
  • Introduced themselves
  • Count the group
  • Check each member of the group
    • For injuries or any medical conditions, they should be made aware of
    • They are wearing appropriate clothing for the time of year and weather conditions.
    • Runners must be turned away if they are considered to pose a danger to themselves or the group.
  • Ensure each member attending knows of other people in the group
  • Remind to call out obstacles or possible dangers to other runners behind
  • Do a steady warm up with the group.
• During the Session:
  • They monitor the Group for any issues or injuries
  • Gives instructions on the route to be followed
  • Re-count at regular opportunities
  • Break the session down into small routes to maintain safety and control
  • Dynamically access issues not planned for and encountered; and revise the route if necessary to ensure the safety of the group
  • To ensure nobody is left behind! either:
    • Travels at the back of the group with the slowest runner.
    • Or nominates another competent and reliable member of the group to travel at the back with the last runner who should be introduced to the group at the start of the session. 
• At the end of each Session, confirms all have returned, checks for any injuries and offers or would have conducted a steady warm down of the group.

Club Membership Attending Club Sessions:

• Are either paid up membership or prospective membership giving the Club Session a try out who attend a session under their own risk.
• On joining the Club membership are advised via a Joining Statement to check with their Doctor before joining if they have any ailing or medical conditions.
  • They should inform the GL of any medical conditions the GL should be made aware of before starting.
  • Ensure they carry appropriate medication (inhalers, EpiPen, etc) and inform the GL or a running buddy where each item is caried on their body.
  • Any runner deemed too injured will be advised to leave the Club session and/or is escorted if appropriate.
• Membership are advise to wear/carry an ICE tag
• Membership are to wear appropriate clothing for the time of year and weather conditions.
• In darker/winter nights:
  • Membership must to wear something bright and/or reflective, otherwise they may be a danger to themselves and the group and be turned away. You need to be seen to be safe.
  • The carry and use of torches is encouraged.
    • Carried in the hand is best as you can direct the light to areas needed to be illuminated
    • Head torches are allowed but they should be angled down sufficiently to ensure you don’t blind other runners in your Group when passing or talking to each other.
    • Torches are a good tool and best to only turn on when needed to illuminate dark parts of your route.
  • The wearing of small lights or reflectors on the body is also a good method to let others Streets Users spot you well in advance
• Membership are to ensure they wear adequate footwear
  Membership are controlled throughout and closely controlled when crossing roads and other higher risk areas of the running route.
  Each Group follows the GL direction to along their specified routes and “Turnaround” points
• At route “Turnaround” points membership have the option to:
  • The preferred option: to gently make their way back until they meet the GL and tuck in behind the last person of that Group back to the designated “Turnaround” point.
  • recover at the “Turnaround” point until the group gets there.
  • Or a mixture of the two, recover a bit and then gently make they back to the GL as per the preferred option.
• At each assembled “Turnaround” points the GL will give directions for the Group to the next “Turnaround” point and effort recommended to the taken and so on until the end of the Club Session
• Membership should not feel pressured to over exert themselves and should limit themselves according to their ability despite the speed or tempo requested by the GL for any specified part of the groups session.
• Membership should let the GL know if they ever need to leave the group before their Club session has ended.
• The wearing of headphones, or similar devices, including bone conductors (other than those medically prescribed) are not permitted.
• U18 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Track Training Sessions:

• The Senior GL must ensure the track is checked prior to session. Any hazards or issues must be either
  • Safely cleared
  • Track sessions modified to safely avoid
  • Runners suitable informed/warned of any remaining hazard/issues to watch out for with appropriate actions to remain safe
  • Or cancel the session.
• Floodlights must be used for dark evenings. If lights fail, stop session and only resume when lights are operational.
• Control of Groups. GLs must:
  • Ensure all warm up and cooldowns run clockwise using outer lanes only to prevent holding up those still on their intervals.
  • Separate groups on track to minimise crowding
  • All intervals/sessions run ANTICLOCKWISE on inner lanes unless directed by GLs.
  • GLs are to ensure that sessions are appropriate to the runner’s ability levels e.g. ability groups, overall distance, qty of sets & recoveries
  • Runners are set off in their designated groups at intervals to reduce inner lanes congestion
• Reported/Ongoing Injuries:
  • Advise runners on a modified session to follow
  • Runners on rehab programmes to use the outer lanes to avoid the interval runners.

Created: 13 Sep 2022

Review Due: Sep 2024