Information for Seniors

If you are interested in joining Chiltern Harriers you are welcome to take part in one of our training sessions to find out more about what our Club can offer. Please contact Trevor Brawn by email for more details and to answer any questions you may have.

The main Club training session for seniors is on a Tuesday evening. Details of the session are as
follows:

• We meet every Tuesday throughout the year at various locations around Chesham and Amersham to start training at 1900. You are advised to check our website for meeting places but usually in the winter the meeting point will be Broadway Baptist Church/Star Yard Car Park where we have access to toilets beforehand.
• The Tuesday evening session is largely focussed on endurance. We enjoy a varied programme of road and off road training sessions. Training sessions are mainly off-road trail runs through May to September, returning to the well illuminated road circuits in and around Chesham during the winter months. High-vis clothing is recommended in the winter.
• Although there are no specific qualifying standards we would expect people new to running to be able to run at least 3 miles continuously, so having completed a 5km parkrun in 33 minutes would be a good starting point.
• The faster runners in the group are completing up to 8 miles, while the slower runners are usually completing 4 to 6 miles over the course of a session, which lasts about 70 minutes.

For those who are interested in doing more speed work, there is an additional training session for seniors on a Thursday evening at Merchant Taylor's track. 

These sessions are open to all CHAC members (under 18 yrs supervised with a qualified adult) to do whatever session is most appropriate for their needs. Sessions are designed to prepare athletes for events 3km - 1/2 marathon.The sessions will operate on a  varied 10 week cycle, the details of which are available on the Club Calendar.  Those who are concerned about any lack of leg speed due to a rigorous cross-country season/marathon build up might well benefit from slightly reducing the suggested sessions and doing 5*50m at end, with a walk/slow jog recovery. Do not expect an instant improvement, but there should be positives over  6-8 weeks. Also, please note that due to maintenance, the track is not available during July 2025.

Saturday parkruns

• Although parkruns are not formal training sessions, many of our Club runners use them as an opportunity for intensive running and also as a chance for a social meeting with other members which might finish with a coffee (and dare we say cake).
• Local parkruns where you are most likely to find other Club members each week include Church Mead, Rickmansworth, Wycombe Rye and Wendover.

Sunday runs (including Pub Runs and Trailblazers):

• The club organises cross-country runs on the 1 st – 4 th Sundays of the month and usually an additional run on the infrequent 5 th Sunday as well.
• The runs on the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays of the month start at 0930 from Hervines Park, Amersham and the car park to the Moor Gym and Swim, Chesham respectively. Check the website for details a few days before.
• The runs on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays start at various venues generally within a 10 mile radius of Amersham/Chesham. See website for timings and venues.
• All runs are off road and circular routes of varying lengths, but generally between 7 and 10 miles.
• Maps are provided to allow runners to run at a pace to suit them. Some basic map reading skills are therefore valuable. These are intended to be social runs to suit a range of abilities. While ever effort will be made to ensure no one is left isolated, members are responsible for their own wellbeing.
• For location of Pub Runs and Trailblazers check Our Events/Club Runs or contact Trevor Davies (General/Pub Runs) or Tony Molesworth (Trailblazers).

Mondays:

• Circuit training run by Jamie Shepard

General points:

• Runners are expected to take responsibility for their own health and safety, wearing appropriate clothing (including high-vis and appropriate footwear for the terrain) and carrying any drinks or snacks which they may require.
• Anyone training with the club as part of any of its sessions must join as a member and pay the appropriate membership fee. Club subs not only pay for training costs, but cover athlete insurance.
• Club kit is supplied through Hawkins Sport, and runners can purchase Club vests, t-shirts, crop tops, hoodies, waterproof jackets and high-vis vests, as they wish.
• For further information on our junior division, visit www.chilternharriers.com/juniors.
• The Club can provide assistance to help people to improve their ability to run, to prepare for events and to set personal targets to aim for. We will always welcome runners that have competed at a higher level that are wishing to get back into competitive running and can provide opportunity to compete for the Club in road, track and cross country races. In order to compete for the Club, you need to be an affiliated member of England Athletics. The Club will process your registration