Running Development Pathway

Run

Now you’ve learnt the basics of how to run, it is important to continue to improve your fitness with more continuous running sessions and build strength to improve your physical preparedness. This is the time to try running on different surfaces, such as road, track, grass, hills and trails You can try out different events likes road races, cross country, trail races, track events and more!

Target- faster 5k/10k times

Run For Fun

Run For Fun is all about enjoying your running! At this stage you should continue to improve your running fitness to a level where you feel comfortable and can reach your current goal. This is the time to get out and try some events, such as parkrun, charity running events or fun runs.

Target: join charity running events; join a Run NI Group or Athletics NI Club

Race

This is the stage where you should be introducing more staple running sessions, such as interval training, threshold runs, progression runs and hill repetitions. Many runners at this stage can begin to educate themselves on the aspects around running, such as energy systems and the efforts and recovery required for adaptation.

Target: Individual targets to race at a longer distance, or to reach a faster time.

Running For Fitness

Running for Fitness is the stage where you can set your own goals- such as that 10k, Half Marathon or full Marathon, you’ve always wanted to do. Continue to improve your fitness by completing more continuous running sessions and training with your local running group. This may also be the time to challenge yourself to a reach a new distance, or get that faster 5k time. Your goal and what you want from running, is completely up to you.

Target: Trying out a variety of running events, challenge yourself to a new distance.

Compete

At this stage you should be getting a clearer understanding of your individual strengths and weaknesses, so speak to your coach on ways to build on your strengths, while addressing the weaknesses and how to improve as an athlete, or how to reach your target goal.

Target- Individual targets to be competitive at an appropriate level (seniors/national/masters/league)

Give Back

An important part of participation running, are the officials, volunteers and coaches giving back to the running community. Every running events will have a number of eager volunteers or officials, who can be doing anything from manning a water/energy station, marshaling a road end or turn, handing out t-shirts and bib numbers, or making sure you get your medal at the end of the race! Then there are the coaches, who regularly turn up on the most miserable nights to make sure you can reach your target goal.

Find out more about becoming an Official or Volunteer here. Find out more about becoming a Coach here.

Target: Become a Running Coach, or Official. Volunteering at events.