Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in becoming a Claremont Road Runner? Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.
Can anyone Join Claremont?
Claremont is only available to runners of eighteen years old or older. (We do not have the facilities to cater for under eighteens).
We are a running club and our formal sessions are designed to last approximately an hour, so a reasonable level of fitness helps. If you are not yet at that level, then we are happy to help you get there!
Is Claremont a fully affiliated club?
Claremont is a fully affiliated club and as a member you will be given a England Athletics Registration Number which entitles you to enter a race as a “club runner” and pay a lower race entry fee.
Does Claremont offer members places in races such as the Great North Run and the London Marathon?
To get an entry for the Great North Run, London Marathon and other races you have to apply like anybody else (the only exception being that London offers 1 or 2 places direct to the club, these are allocated to members who applied but did not get an entry). There are some events e.g. the North East Harrier League (cross country) and relay races which are only available to running clubs and if you take part in these the club enters you and pays the fees.
Do members who enter races gain access to the start amongst the club runners?
Unless you are an elite athlete (i.e. invited to run) at most races you have to take your start place along with everybody else, but since the start “grid” is usually organised based on predicted finishing time you may well be near the front along with a lot of other club runners.
If I am interested in joining, can I come along and run a couple of times before deciding whether to join?
Of course! If you are interested in joining, then please along and see if you like it (and us) first. We are very happy for you to run with us for a few weeks before joining. If you contact us so we know you are coming we can look out for you, and tell you how to gain access to the Newcastle University Sports Centre, where we are based.
If you would like to join us you need to apply by completing an application form and paying a subscription for the current year. At the next committee meeting your application will need to be proposed, seconded and accepted by our Committee members.
Your club subscription also covers the cost of membership of England Athletics.
What kind of training do you do during your Monday and Wednesday runs?
A typical Monday night run lasts for about an hour. To enable us to cater for a wide range of abilities, we operate a pack system, ie slow, medium and fast packs. We have a number of well-trodden routes, starting and finishing at the Newcastle University Sports Centre and taking in areas all over the city. The summer months allow us to take advantage of our beautiful local parks such as Jesmond Dene, but we stick to well-lit streets in the winter! A typical run can be between 6.5 and 8 miles, but shorter versions of each route are available.
Wednesday nights are for more structured training planned by one of the experienced club leaders. Sessions are varied with short intervals to help us get faster, hills to help us get stronger, longer intervals to build speed endurance and even the odd boot-camp.
See our “Training” page for examples of Monday night routes and Wednesday interval sessions.
Do you do track work in the summer?
There are some members who do track work all year round! However, other than occasionally using the “track” at City Stadium, our interval sessions are usually in the parks, streets or at the Quayside.
Do you meet on any other nights?
Many members meet at other times e.g. at parkruns on Saturdays or for longer runs on Sundays. Friendships develop and you can usually find someone to run with outside of club times (visits to pubs and cafes are not unheard of either!).
