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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHEN ARE THE CLUB RUNS?
We run twice a week on a Monday and a Wednesday night at 7.00pm. Starting and finishing on the corner of Dacey Drive and Camp Road.
DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO RUN A 4 MINUTE MILE?
No!!! We cater for complete beginners, through to Ultra-marathon runners and everyone is welcome to our club runs.
DO I HAVE TO COME TO EVERY SESSION?
No, although we would like to see you as much as possible! We also encourage our runners to mix it up so if you can only spare one evening a week swap between sessions.
HOW FAR DO YOU RUN?
Our club sessions are generally time- rather than distance-based. In a 45 minute session, you might start off doing 3-4k, or you might do the best part of 10k. We have a variety of routes we use, particularly in the summer, with different loops from about 3k to 8k to ensure that people start and finish together.
We also do ad hoc sessions of around 10k during Spring and Summer months - running with us is a great way to explore some of the local footpaths and trail routes around Heyford Park.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE RUNNING...
WON'T I SLOW YOU DOWN?
Monday nights are our social runs. We aim to keep moving for about 45 minutes - whether that's running or run/walking, you WILL NOT GET LEFT BEHIND. We like to mix things up in summer months and explore some of the beautiful trails around us.
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Wednesdays are our progression sessions. We run a variety of sessions - some on hills, some sprints or intervals, and some "fun" - roll the dice or flip the coin, and see how lucky you are...! Again suitable for any level, we run these sessions in a small area so there's no being left behind. As with Mondays, they're generally about 45 minutes long - a 10 minute warm-up, 25 minutes in the main session, then a short cool down.
We run different pace and distance groups within each club session depending on who attends each week. You will not slow anyone down, and you will not be left on your own - a run leader will run with you at your pace, and we start and finish at the same time as everyone else on the run.
ARE YOU ENGLAND ATHLETIC AFFILIATED?
Yes! And we can register our members with England Athletic as an individual so you can get race discounts for organised events.
HOW OLD DO YOU NEED TO BE TO JOIN IN?
Our run leaders are all DBS-checked, so with parental consent and prior agreement with the run leaders you can run with us from 13 years old.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO IT NEED?
Well fitting trainers suitable for running and temperature appropriate clothing. We encourage runners to wear bright clothing and in the winter months runners must have reflective outer layers and ideally a head or body torch.
I WANT LONG DISTANCE, CAN YOU HELP?
We certainly can. Several of our runners are ultra-marathoners (also known as Well-Aardvarks) and many more have completed full and half marathons. We run up to 10k on club nights and longer distances on Sunday mornings. Just let us know if that interests you and we will get you involved.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Our Facebook page is the best place for the latest club news. We update at lunchtime on run days to confirm that the run is happening, ask members to comment if they're coming along so we can plan content in advance, and let you know if anything special is needed, such as trail shoes or headtorches. We also use Facebook to share details of upcoming races that some of our club members are running.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?!
You can run with us for the first four weeks for free to make sure the Aardvarks are the club for you. Then we ask you to become an official member. Our membership form can be downloaded from the top of the page and you can pay your membership fees in the shop.