What we offer
Coached training sessions are held at 6.30pm on Tuesdays and last for approximately one hour. However, on the third Tuesday of each month we offer coached ‘track’ sessions at 7pm as an alternative to this (see details below).
Each week we offer three training groups (Yellow, Green and Blue). The general format of the session is the same across all three groups and begins with a warm-up jog and drills, followed by a structured training session, and ending with a cool down jog and some stretching to aid recovery.
The structured training part of the session varies week to week, but it will always be a variation on interval training (periods of hard effort broken up by periods of recovery). Some weeks the hard efforts will be short, some weeks they will be long, and sometimes they will involve running up hills. We use a variety of locations around town for our training, as each one lends itself to a particular type of session, e.g., long reps or hills.
Details of the sessions and locations for each group for the next/current month are shown at the bottom of this page.
Groups will meet at the Leisure Centre or at the training location. The meeting point for each group will be confirmed a few days prior to the session, via e-mail and website newsfeed.
What is the difference between Yellow, Green and Blue groups?
Actually, there’s no real difference. All the groups do the same sessions in the same locations, just on alternating weeks. The faster group might manage more reps in a given time than the other groups, but everyone is working equally hard for the same amount of time.
So why have 3 groups?
We’ve found over the years that people benefit most from the training when they train with others of a similar ability. Some people also feel more comfortable training with people of a similar ability to them.
Which group is best for me?
That’s entirely up to you and it may require some trial and error, but as a rough guide:
- 40min 5K – Start with Yellow Group
- 30min 5K – Start with Green Group
- 20min 5K – Start with Blue Group
Remember – all of the groups do the same sessions, and whichever group you choose you’ll only be expected to do what you can comfortably manage. Some people like to go to a group above their current ability, to motivate them to try even harder. Some people may like to go to a group below their current ability some weeks, if they’re feeling tired or just want a social run rather than a hard training session.
The groups are there each week, it’s up to you how you use them.
Track Sessions
On the third Tuesday of each month, we have access to the new Olympic standard athletics track located at Carver Barracks in Wimbish, near Saffron Walden (postcode CB10 2YA) – about 25 minutes drive from Haverhill. These coached track sessions are extremely popular with members as they add variety and allow members to challenge themselves in different ways.
These sessions, which start at 7pm (a half hour later than the regular time) will normally be for mixed group abilities (including both Junior and Senior Club members) unless otherwise stated, but will be structured to ensure that everyone, no matter what group they normally train with, can engage fully with the training activity. We sometimes train alongside Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club, who share the track with us.
We recognise that not everyone will be interested in training on the athletics track, so we’ll make sure that the regular training sessions in Haverhill are still available for those who want it, although groups may be combined depending on numbers and coach availability.
Scheduled Training Sessions
Scheduled training sessions for August 2026 are shown in the table below.
