I started running at the age of 13 when I joined Redhill and Reigate Athletics Club as a sprinter and sprint hurdler. I was fortunate to train under one of England Athletics’ top coaches, which gave me the incredible opportunity to serve as a demonstration athlete at national coaching courses held at Crystal Palace. Reflecting on that experience, it was the inspiration behind my decision to pursue coaching qualifications and become a Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF). Today, I coach at Lingfield and Pound Hill Pounders and also returned to my roots, assisting with sprint coaching at East Grinstead AC for a number of years.
My own distance running journey began in 2007 with a painfully slow London Marathon. I made all the classic training mistakes and paid the price on race day. Everything changed when I joined Lingfield Running Club, where I found the support and guidance I needed. Since then, I’ve completed six marathons, one ultra marathon, and nearly 300 parkruns. I’m immensely grateful for the encouragement the club has provided in both my running and coaching development.
As a club, we’re incredibly fortunate to have a team of dedicated coaches who generously invest their time in helping runners achieve their personal goals. I’m proud to be part of this fantastic coaching team and the amazing club and running community we support.
Training is held at Imberhorne Upper School athletics track
Wednesday – 6.45pm till 8pm
We run as a club from VS&SC at 7 pm on Tuesday. Saturday morning runs continue but it’s best to check the club’s Facebook page to see if anyone has said they will be running, and at what time. Most of these runs are around the beautiful local countryside except for the winter evenings, when we stick to well-lit routes in the village and stay in groups, as safety is paramount.
For our more competitive runners, we hold interval/ improvement sessions at various locations in Lingfield, East Grinstead or Forest Row at 6.45/7.00 pm on Wednesday evenings. See the members’ Facebook page or newsletter (below) for up to date details.
The club runs a number of informal handicap races for its members during the year. We also organise the Lingfield 10s races in July, a large part of the proceeds of which are donated to a nominated charity.
We have Men’s and Ladies’ Cross Country teams, and compete in the Surrey Cross Country League and the East Surrey Cross Country League
Whether you’re completely new to running, or an experienced runner wondering whether Lingfield Running Club is right for you, please come along to a number of our regular runs before deciding whether to join. We have many experienced runners who are very willing to provide support and advice, whether your goal is just to get fitter, run a greater distance or smash that PB.
We publish a weekly newsletter with forthcoming events, results, reports and running-related articles. Contact the editor if you have anything you think would interest our members.