We're
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This is our community 🧡🖤
We are Wrekin Road Runners and we LOVE being part of our community.
Wrekin Road Runners are part of many different community activities and fundraising. You'll find out below how we get involved in activities in and around the area.
Wrekin Road Runners are part of many different community activities and fundraising. You'll find out below how we get involved in activities in and around the area.
Telford Parkrun
Telford parkrun was Shropshire’s first parkrun established in February 2013, but there are now plenty of other parkruns in the area, including Shrewsbury, Severn Valley (Bridgnorth), Alderford Lake (Whitchurch), Henley Wood (Oswestry), Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Isabel Trail (Stafford) and two in Wolverhampton (at West Park and East Park). All parkruns start every Saturday 9am, with Telford’s starting at the Town Park Visitors’ Centre. The course is two laps - starting with a one mile loop around Randlay pool, followed by a two mile loop. The course is relatively flat but with a few challenges thrown in and finishes on a cheeky uphill which is affectionately known as the slope of opportunity. With over 500 parkrunners most weeks there are lots of opportunities to make new friends and there are plenty of places to meet up for post-run coffee and/or breakfast in Southwater.
Wrekin Road Runners are keen participants and supporters of Telford parkrun, with members being part of the core team of run directors since its inception and the club organising regular volunteer takeovers. Along with other local clubs, Wrekin Road Runners sponsored our own kilometre marker on the course.
Wrekin Road Runners are keen participants and supporters of Telford parkrun, with members being part of the core team of run directors since its inception and the club organising regular volunteer takeovers. Along with other local clubs, Wrekin Road Runners sponsored our own kilometre marker on the course.
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Wrekin Relay Challenge
In the autumn of 2013, a group of members met to brainstorm an idea for a new race. The Wrekin Relay Challenge was born and it was decided that all profits would be put to a local charity. The race is made up of teams of 3 runners, each leg being a 3.8 mile lap round the Wrekin. Undulating, challenging and beautiful! In 2019 we introduced a solo category where runners would need complete 3 laps. This proved popular and will continue to be a feature in the future!
In 2014: we raised £410 for the Georgia Williams Trust.
In 2015: we raised £625 for Hope House.
In 2016: we raised £1660 for Shropshire Air Ambulance.
In 2017: we raised £1242 for Shropshire Air Ambulance.
In 2018: we raised £959 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
In 2019: we raised £1486 for Stay Telford.
That gives a total of £6382 raised by runners, members and supporters for local charities. 2020 proceeds were due to be donated to Severn Hospice, but unfortunately the Covid 19 crisis has meant the event has been cancelled. We will be back bigger and better in 2021!
In 2014: we raised £410 for the Georgia Williams Trust.
In 2015: we raised £625 for Hope House.
In 2016: we raised £1660 for Shropshire Air Ambulance.
In 2017: we raised £1242 for Shropshire Air Ambulance.
In 2018: we raised £959 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
In 2019: we raised £1486 for Stay Telford.
That gives a total of £6382 raised by runners, members and supporters for local charities. 2020 proceeds were due to be donated to Severn Hospice, but unfortunately the Covid 19 crisis has meant the event has been cancelled. We will be back bigger and better in 2021!
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Cricket (... yes, Cricket!)
In the early summer of 2019 Wrekin Road Runners member Sheila Dickie invited the women to have a go playing cricket at softball cricket festivals organised by the Shropshire Cricket Board and hosted by local cricket clubs. A few ladies turned up to the first one, two teams at the second and by the end of the summer we had up to three teams of six players playing at every festival, with some venturing to Worcester and Kidderminster to play. The festivals are lots of fun with a glass of prosecco included in the £3 entry fee! What we lacked in skills and knowledge of the game, we made up for in enthusiasm, and before long we were practising up to three evenings a week in the Bowring Park in Wellington, with expert coaching from some very patient husbands. The festivals and our practice sessions are very sociable affairs and everyone is welcome to play or support (the cricket club bars and BBQs are quite popular on a summer Sunday afternoon).
By the end of the summer we had all improved and our teams had all won at least one game each. Our enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed and we were awarded the Women’s Softball Cricket Festival Club of the Year by the SCB. We had enough interest to enter two teams into the Indoor Winter League and with sponsorship from the Wrekin Housing Group we were able to pay for a coaching session and subsidise our own club tshirts. We joined Allscott Ladies Cricket Club at their training sessions on Sunday afternoons and played on Thursday nights. Again, by the end of the league both teams had managed to win a game each.
Cricket has been a brilliant opportunity to bring people in the running club together. When running we get to know people who run at a similar pace to ourselves, but at cricket everyone trains together. A slower runner might make a brilliant bowler or batter, and no matter how fast you run, everyone has an area of their game they want to improve on.
Our plan for the summer of 2020 is to have one team in the summer softball league and as many women as possible turning up to the festivals to have a go and a glass of prosecco!
By the end of the summer we had all improved and our teams had all won at least one game each. Our enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed and we were awarded the Women’s Softball Cricket Festival Club of the Year by the SCB. We had enough interest to enter two teams into the Indoor Winter League and with sponsorship from the Wrekin Housing Group we were able to pay for a coaching session and subsidise our own club tshirts. We joined Allscott Ladies Cricket Club at their training sessions on Sunday afternoons and played on Thursday nights. Again, by the end of the league both teams had managed to win a game each.
Cricket has been a brilliant opportunity to bring people in the running club together. When running we get to know people who run at a similar pace to ourselves, but at cricket everyone trains together. A slower runner might make a brilliant bowler or batter, and no matter how fast you run, everyone has an area of their game they want to improve on.
Our plan for the summer of 2020 is to have one team in the summer softball league and as many women as possible turning up to the festivals to have a go and a glass of prosecco!
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Couch to 5K (C25K)
Wrekin Road Runners were the first local running club to introduce the couch to 5k 10 week course aimed at encouraging non runners to get fit! The inaugural course started on 15th May 2012 and through word of mouth and some publicity in the Shropshire Star, plus a great boost from Radio Shropshire (who attended the first session ) we had an amazing turnout of over 80 members of the public!
From then on, we have run (no pun intended) numerous courses and are proud that through our efforts, and those of all the other many locally organised courses (running clubs, office groups, health centres, mental health support groups), there are now huge numbers of people who enjoy the benefits of running!
The pleasure may just be to get out and appreciate the countryside, the feeling of ‘I can do this’, the joy of improvement , the thrill of the race, the peace of mind it brings and the overall confidence one experiences of becoming fit!
From then on, we have run (no pun intended) numerous courses and are proud that through our efforts, and those of all the other many locally organised courses (running clubs, office groups, health centres, mental health support groups), there are now huge numbers of people who enjoy the benefits of running!
The pleasure may just be to get out and appreciate the countryside, the feeling of ‘I can do this’, the joy of improvement , the thrill of the race, the peace of mind it brings and the overall confidence one experiences of becoming fit!
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