Club policy for junior members

Currently junior members under the age of 12 years are not permitted to attend any of our training sessions or group runs. Juniors aged 12 and over up to the age of 16 can attend our organised training sessions or group runs but they must be accompanied by a parent or by an adult nominated by the parent, 17s and over are allowed to attend sessions unaccompanied. When deciding whether a particular group run will be appropriate, depending on the age of their child, parents should refer to the UKA distance running guidelines for Junior athletes below.

Distance running for junior athletes

Training for juniors needs a different approach and emphasis to that for adults. With distance running there is no advantage from starting too young. Becoming a good athlete is all about progression over many years. For example, the optimal type of physical activity at primary school age is high intensity, sporadic exercise – the kind that children do naturally in the playground. They need to develop basic motor skills, coordination and strength as their bodies develop and whilst some running is ok, too much, too young can be detrimental.

The UKA competition rules for juniors limit the distances according to age and SGR advises parents to adhere broadly to these distance guidelines when deciding whether or not to bring their junior members along to our group runs or training sessions.

Maximum distances for Road Races