MACCLESFIELD HARRIERS
TRAINING through the winter for a New Year’s resolution, a spring half marathon or full marathon can be a slog. And at this time of year running in the dark is unavoidable if you work full time. Many runners move indoors and hit the treadmill, but where’s the fun in that?
Running with others may be just the thing for motivating yourself through the dark winter months and Macclesfield Harriers is for people who love running.
There are no age or ability limits with us and there are many active members in their sixties and seventies. The club has five running groups that each run at a particular pace range and distance.
Training together to achieve a goal or just running with others of similar ability provides motivation with more fun and laughter. Running in a group also makes you stand out on dark evenings, especially when all the group is in hi-visibility tops with head torches.
The regular weeknight sessions, from Macclesfield Leisure Centre overflow car park, are on local roads and paths. Some groups organise additional runs from various locations over tracks and trails.
The groups are A, B, C, D and E, with A group being the fastest paced group. E group tend to run at a pace of 10 minutes per mile or slower for about 4-5 miles. As E group members improve (and you will!) you will want to progress through the groups and so the natural progression is to D group, which is slightly faster and longer than E group, and so on.
The club encourages participation in events from 5K Park runs and races like the Alderley Edge Bypass 10K and the Wilmslow and Macclesfield half marathons. For club members only, the Road Running Handicap in June provides a challenge with a difference. The format is that people predict their time for the five-mile route and the people running closest to their predicted time (no watches allowed!) win prizes.
All the training times for group runs can be found on the club website http://www.macclesfieldharriers.co.uk. Please feel free to try us for a few runs - just come along to a session that you think will suit you, and let the leader know you’re new, we make sure no-one gets left behind. Contact the appropriate group leader (details on the website) if you have any queries.