Training during Covid-19

With Government Covid-19 restrictions changing, England Athletics, to which Farnham Runners is affiliated, updated their guidance to clubs on 19th June. The local club has taken full advantage of being able to run again in small groups of no more than 6, keeping a social distance of 2 meters.

Not able to access their normal clubhouse on the Bourne Green or able to use their summer speed training venue, committee members and run leaders have been busy pioneering an impressive variety of alternative venues and routes.

Said club chairman, Jacquie Browne,

“Although members miss the buzz of our club runs, particularly our gatherings on Wednesday evenings when we regularly get up to 50 people, in fact the restrictions have given us the opportunity to meet in small groups at different venues and plan different routes, exploring new paths and areas. In addition to our usual haunts of the Bourne Woods, Frensham Common and Tilford we have had some different start points and routes to Crooksbury Hill, to Caesar’s Camp, through Old Park and to Dippenhall along St Swithun’s Way. We’ve had more runs in Alice Holt Forest, and one on the ‘Lesser known paths around Farnham’. One is even scheduled to start in Headley.

We have also now set up alternative speed training sessions on the Bourne Green and Farnham Park, with a hill session in the Bourne Woods. But of course we have to limit each session to just 6 in total.

We just don’t know when we will be able to resume our usual very popular social activities, for example our club suppers, or our pub meets etc. Our Club championship has had to be postponed and the only races able to take place at the moment are ‘virtual’ races. All parkruns have been halted and recently replaced with virtual ‘(not)parkruns’ where participants submit their own times for any 5km course.

However, we are very thankful to have been able to get outside to exercise and to have easy access to such wonderful countryside all around Farnham.”

(Click anywhere on gallery to browse photos)