Shildon Running & Athletic Club Club Brochure
www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Our annual presentation night
Shildon R & AC’s club racing colours
Club details
Based at Stadium 2000, Sunnydale Leisure Centre, Shildon Club nights: Seniors Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays at 6pm Juniors Mondays & Wednesdays at 6pm Under 11’s Wednesdays at 6pm
Club aims
The aim of the club is to promote athletics activity by providing: • Access to facilities • Access to knowledgeable coaches • Information of competition and activities
Affiliations
The club is affiliated to England Athletics, and is governed by its rules and regulations.
Membership details
To ensure each athlete is a fully paid up member of the England Athletics Membership Scheme, the club operates an annual subscriptions scheme with the following age categories: Under 11’s £4 11 – 17 years £10 18 and above £14 To assist with covering operating costs including facilities and event entry payments, the club also operates a nightly subscription scheme which is standardised across all age groups at £1.50 per session. (current at 1st March 2008) www.shildonrunning.co.uk
The Club’s Racing Colours Athletes who compete in organised events for Shildon R & AC wear the distinctive black vest with red and yellow side stripes, and black shorts.
Presentation Night
Each year, the club hosts an annual presentation night to celebrate the successes of athletes across all age groups and disciplines. This proves to be a sell out each year, and as well as providing an opportunity for the club to say a big well done, it also allows the various sections of the club to come together for an enjoyable social occasion.
Website Details
The club now boasts one of the leading athletics websites in the region. Produced by one of the club’s own, it provides up to date information about the club, as well as reports and results. Go to www.shildonrunning.co.uk for further details.
Fundraising & Revenues
Whilst the club raises a great deal of finance through the membership and nightly subscriptions schemes, there is still a need to raise further funds to use for the benefit of all sections of the club. Over the years, the club has used various means including bag packs at local superstores and a giant duck race at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. However, undoubtedly the most popular and beneficial to the club has been the weekly letter draw. This has been organised since the mid 1990s and has provided a steady income to the club. In 2007, the club successfully bid to the National Lottery for an Awards for All grant that was used to provide: • A greater range of sportshall equipment, primarily for the under 11’s group • Reflective bibs to club members for safe night running on the roads • Sprint training equipment • Coaching sessions in local schools to increase improved fitness and athletics awareness • Advertising material Awards for All grants are given to projects that meet the aims of the Lottery scheme, to extend access and participation, increase skill and creativity, and to improve the quality of life in the area.
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History of Club
Formed in June 1986, at the height of the running/ jogging boom, the club provided opportunities for local people to enjoy fitness training in a structured environment. In the first year, the club had no recognised base, utilising numerous venues around the town as a meeting place, from park changing facilities to a local working men’s club. Eventually, the club settled at the town’s leisure centre, and gained access to gym hall facilities at the site, which it still uses. In the first couple of years, the club’s athletes competed in local road races and larger profile events such as the Windermere and York festival of road races, over a variety of distances up to marathons. Towards the end of the decade, the club started to compete in local cross country races and low key track and field events. The end of the 1980’s also saw the club set up a structured junior section. Until this time, all athletes, irrespective of age, trained together. This new development allowed junior athletes to start training specifically for their needs, which resulted in improved performances, as well as a more focused approach to recruitment and retention of this very important age group.
www.shildonrunning.co.uk
At the end of the 1980s, and into the early 1990’s, the club promoted one of the top road races in the region. Originally the ‘Shildon 6’ and latterly the ‘Shildon 10km’, the annual event became famous for its testing course, which attracted a high quality field each year. It even had the accolade of hosting the North of England 10km championships. During the 1990s, the club expanded in a number of directions. The club joined a number of cross country and track & field leagues, and also developed the club structure to offer coaching across a range of disciplines including sprint training. This paid dividends with the first of many championship titles for club athletes, the honour going to Nicola Woodvine in 1992 at the North East Track & Field championships. In 1994, the club celebrated its first international honour when Karen Johns was selected to compete for England Schools at cross country, and Karen was to taste further success later that year when she won the club’s first national title, in the English Schools national T & F championships over 800m at Telford. As the decade continued, the club was benefiting from the increasing number of
Note from the Chairman: coaches and athletes. Championship titles were being won on a regular basis, especially across the junior age groups, and the junior boys team won promotion in the Young Athletes League. The club also introduced an under 11’s training group to cater for those at primary school. In 1998, Gary Ankers won the club’s second national title, this time in the AAA Indoor championships over 400m. In 1999, the club finally had a worthy base, with the opening of the athletics track facilities, known as Stadium 2000. This was made possible through a successful lottery bid in conjunction with Sedgefield Borough Council. Into the new millennium, the club continued to succeed in a variety of disciplines, and also continued to offer training and competition opportunities to a broad range of ages and abilities. In 2005, Kate Avery won the National Cross Country title at Birmingham, and followed this up a year later with the English Schools Cross Country title at Mansfield. In 2007, Amy Fleming won the Scottish Indoor Pentathlon Championship in Glasgow, and Melissa Carr won the AAA Under 20 Triple Jump title at Bedford. Over the past few years, an increasing number of athletes have also worn the England vest with great distinction showing that the club’s coaching structure and facilities are producing performances of note. However, the club has still continued to remain close to its founding roots, by offering local people the opportunity to run with like minded people for purely fitness purposes.
Shildon R & A.C. is a well respected and friendly club based at Stadium 2000 Shildon, welcoming all people from the age of 8 upwards. We aim to cater for athletes of all abilities, ranging from those who just want to relax, enjoy themselves and get fit, all the way across the range to those who want to compete at the highest level that their ability and dedication can take them. From the youngsters point of view there is a thriving junior section, giving those who are interested the chance to get involved in all aspects of track & field, cross-country and sports-hall, depending on age and ability. They are split into three sections: U11’s, middle distance and sprints, jumps and throws. On the seniors side we again aim to cater for athletes of all abilities. Members are encouraged to take part in road races, cross country, track & field and fell running, as well as the social running which is structured to cater for all ages and abilities. A warm welcome is waiting for all new athletes, who will benefit from the knowledge, experience and dedication of our coaches, whether you are a wishing to compete at the highest level or just want to get fit and socialise with new people.
Neil Lomax, Chairman, Shildon R & A.C.
www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Training Facility Details
Group Structures
The club enjoy a number of high quality facilities:-
Training sessions held by the club are provided by qualified UK Athletics coaches.
An athletics arena that includes:• 6 lane synthetic track with an 8 lane straight • Field event facilities including long jump and a throws cage
Seniors The senior section of the club is primarily geared towards general fitness through to distance running. Whilst many see an athletics club as being for elite athletes, the opposite is often said to be true in Shildon’s case, where the emphasis is more on participation in a friendly environment. The section meets at the leisure centre on normal club nights for a variety of training sessions that could include indoor fitness training during the winter months as well as steady runs of varying distances from 3 miles upwards around the roads. On a Friday evening, the group meets at the leisure centre for a steady social run, which has proved extremely popular in recent years as a form of ice breaker into joining the club for many of the club’s current members. The group caters for all abilities and ages and provides a friendly opportunity for anyone wishing to start jogging or running with like minded people. Whilst there are opportunities for runners to push themselves harder in training, there is also the chance for runners to simply come down on a club night, have a gentle run around with a group of people and enjoy a relaxing drink afterwards in the leisure centre bar.
An indoor hall for winter indoor training Access to playing fields for running training In addition, the club makes use of the bar facilities at the leisure centre for after training refreshments.
Junior jumps
Juniors – Middle Distance The middle distance group has proved to be one of the most successful in the North East for a number of years now. Catering for athletes from 11 years and above, the training is specifically for athletes looking to compete in middle distance events during the summer and cross country during the winter. The majority of club night sessions take place at the stadium’s track, however, during the winter months, there are also opportunities for group training sessions at other locations across the area, including Hamsterley Forest with its various trails and Durham with its scenic routes along the river banks. Training tends to be a combination of steady running to help improve the general level of fitness and stamina, and speed work to improve the more dynamic requirements of the sport. In addition, the group www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Under 11’s
Junior middle distance
has also benefited from training in stretching and mobility work, as well as, in recent times, activities around nutrition requirements to improve general wellbeing. Juniors – Sprints The sprints group caters for athletes from 11 years and above who have shown an interest in shorter distance events up to 400m. Some of the athletes in the group use the training as speed work for other sports such as football and rugby. Many of the athletes compete in the indoor competitions during the winter, and the outdoor track events during the summer, so training takes place continuously throughout the year. The main focus for the club night sessions is on the Stadium 2000 track, although there are also opportunities for indoor strength and conditioning work. The group also utilise the facilities on Saturday mornings for additional sessions. Juniors – Jumps The jumps group is primary focussed on Long Jump and Triple Jump. Training takes place on normal club nights at the stadium, and combines sprint training with the main group and specific technical training on the jump phases. Some of the technical training also includes strength and conditioning training to maximise the athlete’s ability. Under 11’s A growing part of the club structure is the Under 11’s group, which meet on Wednesday evenings. This group caters for athletes from 8 years old until they leave primary school. The emphasis of the training in this group is fun learning, and the club has invested heavily on indoor sportshall
equipment to increase the opportunities for the athletes. Many of the children who come along to these sessions have already had a taste of sportshall athletics via their primary school, and the training that is performed on the Wednesday evenings continue their enjoyment and learning. For many children, this is their first taste of structured sports training, and it is vital that basic core elements are taught to ensure that correct skill building in later life is successful. Many of the athletes in this group flow through to the junior section groups as they become older.
Junior sprints www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Sports Development
Part of the club’s development plan is to increase participation across a number of age groups. One of the great successes in recent year’s has been the local club / school links with qualified club coaches going into the three primary schools in Shildon to offer taster sessions in athletics over a number of weeks. As well as raising the profile of the club in the local community, it has also helped improve athletics awareness and fitness in the primary school age group. The club is also keen to dispel the theory that athletics clubs are only there to service the needs of high quality athletes. Whilst the club does have a small element of high achievers in the sport, especially amongst the junior ranks, many of the club’s members participate purely for the fun and pleasure that the sport brings. Athletics, and in particular running, offers the individual the chance to improve their fitness levels, irrespective of the starting point. For many people wishing to improve their fitness, motivation is one of the key barriers. By training with like minded people, the motivation becomes a great deal easier, and fitness levels will improve as time goes by. Many of our members have commented that training alone is so much harder, and the desire to give up increases, especially during the dark winter months.
Competition
For those wishing to participate in competitive activities, the club offer a number of avenues across a wide range of age groups and disciplines:Winter Leagues The club has membership in two cross country leagues during the winter months. The North East cross country league and North Yorkshire & South Durham cross country league offer runners from 11 years and above the opportunity to test themselves on various courses across the region. The fixtures take place on either a Saturday or Sunday afternoon throughout the season and cater for all abilities. Summer Leagues The club has membership in a number of track and field leagues during the summer months. Specifically for the junior athletes, the club is part of the National Young Athletes League. This caters for age groups from 11 years old up to 17 years. A wide range of track and field disciplines from the sprints and middle distances to the jumps and throws events offer all members of the junior section the chance to compete and gain points for the team. During the summer there are 4-5 matches, and this league is especially important in bonding together the various junior strands under the club umbrella of competition. The North East track & field league and the North Yorkshire & South Durham track & field league give additional opportunities for our junior athletes to compete in their events, or even try new ones. These two leagues also allow athletes above 17 years old to try a wide variety of disciplines throughout the summer Championships As one of the aims of the club is to offer members access to high levels of competition, the club has always encouraged those willing and able, the opportunity to take part in local, regional and national championships. Each year, the club is well represented at the North East championships, whether it be indoor, cross country or track & field. Travelling further afield, the club also sends strong teams to the North of England
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championships in the various disciplines, and often, the National championships, especially at cross country and track & field level. Whilst some of the championships are held at distant venues, the club has always supported athletes wishing to compete for the club, and has assisted in overnight accommodation costs to ensure athletes are as well prepared as possible. In 2007, the club had representation at events in Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham & Cardiff. Club Handicap Each month, the senior section hold a club handicap event over a measured course around the roads of Shildon. The idea is to promote participation, and also to enable athletes the chance to measure improvements in fitness and well being. The club handicap has been a central point of club activity for almost 20 years, and proves to be very popular with many of the athletes, especially new starters who don’t want to jump straight in to local road race competition. Athletes are awarded points depending on their finish time, and trophies are awarded throughout the year. Open meets and events In addition to the various league and championship opportunities available to club members, the club also actively encourages participation in what are known as open meetings and events. These cover all the various competition disciplines from track & field, through cross country and fell running to the general road races that are very popular with the senior athletes. The Great North Run is probably one of the most recognised type of these events, and each year, the club has a large entry into the event from the senior section. There is also club interest at local road races such as the Newton Aycliffe 10km in June and the Darlington 10km in August. Many of the under 11’s age group athletes from the club are involved with the very popular winter indoor grand prix series at Jarrow. Over recent year’s, the club has tasted a great deal of success, and the series has proved to be an excellent introduction to athletics competition for this very enthusiastic age group. Fell running has proved to be an increasingly
popular discipline, with a number of the senior club members testing themselves on a variety of challenging events.
Clubmark Details
In 2006, the club successfully completed an accreditation process that resulted in the club being awarded Clubmark status. Clubmark was introduced in by Sport England to: 1 Ensure that accrediting partners apply core common criteria to ensure that consistent good practice and minimum operating standards are delivered through all club development and accreditation schemes. 2 To empower parent and carers when choosing a club for their children. 3 To ensure that Clubmark accredited clubs are recognised through a common approach to branding. 4 To provide a focus around which all organisations involved in sport can come together to support good practice in sports clubs working with children and young people. This award demonstrates that Shildon Running & Athletic Club comply with laid down operating standards from Sport England in four key areas:• The Playing Programme • Duty of care and child protection • Sports equity and ethics • Club management
Anne Marie Readshaw Open Meeting Following the untimely death of one of the club’s promising young sprinters, the club decided to promote an annual track and field event at its home track at the beginning of each season. This event has provided opportunities for athletes across the region to start their summer season with good competition, and has become one of the top open meetings in the North East. In 2007, the club celebrated its 7th event where over 300 athletes packed into the venue. The competition is fierce, especially in the younger age groups, but above all, all the athletes have a great time. www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Kate Avery
Melissa Carr
John Gray Neil Stockley
Pen Portraits
Kate Avery Kate Avery has proved to be the most successful athlete Shildon has every produced, with numerous outstanding performances over a four year period since joining the club in January 2004. Winning the North East 1500m title for Under 13 girls in a championship record time was the beginning of a medal haul that has continued ever since. Kate’s roll of honour includes an increasing number of North East titles, North of England championship titles, and a National cross country title at Birmingham in 2005 as well as an English Schools cross country title in 2006 at Mansfield. Kate’s high level of performance and consistency has also earned her 4 international vests for England. The UK rankings for 2007 show Kate at the top end for both 1500m and 3000m. In February 2008, Kate was chosen to be part of ‘On Camp with Kelly’, a mentoring scheme up to 2012 with Olympic champion, Kelly Holmes. Melissa Carr Melissa Carr has certainly made her mark on the athletics world with a string of top level performances in the Triple Jump that earned he numerous championship titles and an England call up. Melissa won her first North of England title in 2006 at Manchester, on a weekend in which she also won a silver medal in the long jump. Later that summer, Melissa won the silver medal at the English Schools National Championships at Gateshead. The indoor season of 2007 saw Melissa pick up medals at the North East and North of England championships, as well as gaining her first international vest at the Celtic Cup in Cardiff. The outdoor season saw Melissa win her first national title, with the AAA U20 Triple Jump at Bedford. www.shildonrunning.co.uk
Although only 18 years of age, Melissa was listed in the 2007 UK rankings as 2nd in the under 20’s age group, and 16th in all age groups. John Gray John Gray – the club’s long standing treasurer – has a particular claim to fame that stands him apart from the majority of athletes across the region – he has competed in every Great North Run since it’s very beginning. John has been a club runner since 1987, but actually took part in the first few GNR’s since 1981 as an unattached athlete. Being a keen runner, John joined the running club, and continued his liking for the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields. In 2007, as John prepared for his 27th outing, the GNR organisers confirmed that there were less than 150 athletes left who could proudly boast to have run the event every year. Neil Stockley Neil Stockley will forever be linked with Shildon Running & Athletics Club, as he was one of the founders back in 1986. A keen runner, Neil was determined to have an athletics club based in his home town, so set about doing just that. As a member of a neighbouring club, he knew what was required, and jointly with Dave Preston, the club was formed in the summer of 1986, offering local runners the opportunity that was clearly lacking in the town. Neil took up the position of Club Secretary, which he still holds after more than 20 years. With his competitive days on the roads and cross country courses well and truly behind him, Neil is one of the driving forces behind the scenes that keeps the club moving forward.
Achievements International Representation 26/03/94 26/02/95 22/12/96 18/07/98 02/04/05 08/04/06 03/02/07 01/04/07 23/07/07 13/02/08
Karen Johns Karen Johns Lyndsay Robson Gary Ankers Kate Avery Kate Avery Melissa Carr Kate Avery Kate Avery Melissa Carr
National Titles 09/07/94 21/02/98 19/02/05 25/03/06 11/02/07 23/06/07 19/01/08
Karen Johns Gary Ankers Kate Avery Kate Avery Amy Fleming Melissa Carr Melissa Carr
North Of England Titles 28/05/94 29/06/96 22/01/01 27/05/01 27/05/01 26/01/02 29/05/04 29/01/05 22/01/06 28/01/06 28/05/06 18/06/06 21/01/07
Karen Johns Lyndsay Robson Yasmine Meite Ian Davey Matthew Lomax Team Khalil Thompson Kate Avery Melissa Carr Kate Avery Kate Avery Melissa Carr Melissa Carr
England Schools England Schools England England Schools England Schools England Schools England England Schools England Schools Great Britain
England Schools England Schools Under 20 Ladies Inter Boys Junior Girls Junior Girls Under 20 Ladies Inter Girls Inter Girls Under 20 Ladies
XC 800m XC 400m XC XC Triple Jump XC 1500m Triple Jump
Schools XC School T & F IAAF XC School T & F Schools XC Schools XC Celtic Cup Schools XC Schools T & F Jumps Int.
Truro Birmingham Brussels Ayr Northop Stowe Cardiff Dublin Newport London
English Schools AAA Indoor National XC English Schools Scottish Indoor AAA Outdoors Indoor
Junior Girls Under 17 Boys Under 13 Girls Junior Girls Under 17 Ladies Under 20 Ladies Under 20 Ladies
800m 400m XC XC Pentathlon Triple Jump Triple Jump
Telford Birmingham Birmingham Mansfield Glasgow Bedford Sheffield
T & F T & F Indoor T & F T & F XC T & F XC Indoor XC T & F T & F Indoor
Under 15 Girls Under 17 Ladies Under 17 Ladies Under 20 Men Under 15 Boys Under 13 Boys Under 15 Boys Under 13 Girls Under 20 Ladies Under 15 Girls Under 15 Girls Under 20 Ladies Under 20 Ladies
800m 3000m 60m 800m 3000m XC 3000m XC Triple Jump XC 1500m Triple Jump Triple Jump
Gateshead Barnsley Sheffield Barnsley Barnsley Derby Wigan Consett Sheffield Blackburn Leeds Manchester Sheffield
Partnership Details
The club has fostered a number of close partnerships over the years with local businesses. Many have been in support of club events such as the annual Anne Marie Readshaw Track & Field Meeting. Glaxo Smithkline, Alan Fryatt (Accountancy), Lookers VW Darlington and Filmco have all played a part in the success of the club in recent years. Other contributors include:Bishop Auckland College ACW (Auckland Conservatory Windows) Prestige Air Conditioning Dual Bound (Stockton) Twin Services Noble Fuels Trinity Medical Randal Orchard Construction IntraHealth Cleveland Police Sedgefield Borough Council Shildon Town Council
Contact Details To find out more about Shildon Running and Athletic Club, and its various sections and activities, there are a number of ways: Website: www.shildonrunning.co.uk Email our Communications Officer Neil Wood: enquiries@shildonrunning.co.uk Chairman: Neil Lomax 01388 776676 Secretary: Neil Stockley 01388 776083
Come along on club nights (Mondays & Wednesdays) at Shildon Stadium 2000 www.shildonrunning.co.uk