Can we make NHS C25k an "official" club?

[wilmacgh]

Many of us as we progressed through the early stages of the programme and on to graduating have signed up for races. We have folk doing 5k, 10k, half and even full marathons. However, for many events it isn't possible to register your club as NHS C25k. It's OK for Parkrun and there is now quite a regular turn out of 20+ around the country - see parkrun.com/results/consoli... for last week's events. However many of the more official events such as the BUPA Great runs don't recognise it as a club. I think this is because it isn't affiliated to an official body, with subs and a level of insurance.

I did some quick digging on the internet and couldn't quite see a way round this. UK athletics seems to be more about track events and when you start looking at clubs it sends you to different organisations for England, Scotland, Wales and NI. I think we would need at the very least a UK club, even one open to the significant number of overseas members on this site.

What do people think? Is this worth trying to get the admins to look into? Or are people happy to move on to joining local clubs? Is the sports bureaucracy ready for a virtual club like us?

[misswobble Graduate]

NHS C25K was accepted as an affiliated club in the race I entered. I got the discount too have you tried applying Wilmacgh?

[Fitfor60 Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Which race was that miss wobble

[Fitfor60 Graduate]

Sounds great idea to me Wilma I would be proud to run for nhsc25k club

[misswobble Graduate]

I entered a local running club's 10 mile race and they asked what club I was running for. I told them, Nhs c25k and Got £2 off

[swanscot Graduate]

Other virtual clubs are accepted, but don't necessarily give the 'affiliated club' discounts in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For example: my son is a member of the virtual club, Vegan Runners (VR). A quick look at their website states this about membership and affiliation:

"Club Affiliation

VRUK is affiliated to UK Athletics via England Athletics (EA) so, if you pay the joining fee for first claim members of VRUK, you are entitled to the discounted entry fee for events in England. Members registered with England Athletics who enter events in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may still have to pay the unattached fee at some events as the Club can only affiliate to one UK country. Members based in Scotland can individually affiliate to the Scottish Athletics Association (SAA) governing body and Scottish Hillrunners in order to obtain local discounts and in the case of SAA select VRUK as their registered UK Athletics club. The Welsh Athletics governing body now has a registration system similar to England Athletics that only accepts members of a Welsh registered club. It is therefore recommended that the Wales-based member who is not a member of a Welsh registered club should join VRUK as 1st claim for benefits via England Athletics. Other VRUK contacts who are not a member of an affiliated club must pay the fee for unattached/unaffiliated club runners. If you are a paid-up first claim member of VRUK the club name given on any entry form should be ‘Vegan Runners UK’."

[wilmacgh Graduate]

Thanks Sheila. There would seem to be the basis of a model we can also follow.

[vixiej Graduate]

I always put down C25K when I can, haven't received discount so far, but early days in my 'race career' I'm proud to be a C25Ker and would really like us to promote this to as wide an audience as possible. There will be lots of existing runners, members of other clubs, who have friends who don't run and who could benefit from the programme. Word would soon get around if they start seeing us as a club. Great idea Wilma

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I searched clubs affiliated to UK athletics when I did a 10k race recently and was disappointed to find that NHS C25k was not on the list. As a virtual club I am sure loads of our runners would want to be members.

[no-excuse Graduate]

I'm new to this so don't know how it all works as far as races go but I did receive discount the other day when I entered a local 10k x

[scruttons Graduate]

My children in the past were competitive swimmers and had to be in a club affiliated to the ASA to compete. If you wanted C25K to be an 'official' club, then it would need to be 'affiliated' and that ALWAYS costs money and so you would have to introduce membership with costs.

[misswobble Graduate]

It was worth a punt wasn't it No-excuse. She who dares wins ey. We dared and we did. LOL. At least that way we get to spread the word through the system, and hopefully if we all do the same thing, we will get the recognition we deserve.

[no-excuse Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Yes definitely worth putting it on my entry form. That was the easy bit! The race- well I don't know how I got talked into doing that! But my C25k graduate shirt came today so I'm gonna wear it with pride on Sunday and hope its my lucky racing shirt! lol x

[Tomas Graduate]

Sounds like a great idea!

I don't particularly care about the few quid off races (maybe that's because I've only done one so far and are only signed up for two more), but as vixiej said above, it's about pride in having completed this journey and taking it forward. And about "flying the flag", so to speak.

I'd be happy to pay a modest sum if that was necessary.

[runningphobe_no_more Graduate]

I think it's a brilliant idea, even if it does involve a cost. Provided the cost element is voluntary. I would hate to see anything introduced which discouraged new runners from posting on this site - it has helped me enormously, just because it was so easy to join in - but now I'd love to go a step further and take up formal membership.

[wilmacgh Graduate]

I've now emailed UK Athletics asking for their help on how we can take this forward. Will let you know wehnI get a reply.

[vixiej Graduate in reply to wilmacgh]

did we go anywhere with this?

[completerunner]

I can help with producing a club vest... If affiliated you will need one to run in any affiliated organised race.

[misswobble Graduate]

Ooooooh, exciting times!