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1.Improvement
Membership to a running club or group often leads to big improvements in your performance. Learning tips from other members, being motivated to pick up the pace and committing to regular training sessions can all make a big difference to increasing your fitness.
2. Companionship
While a solo run is a great way to clear the mind, doing it week in week out can get tedious. Injecting some social runs into your training and running with a group is enjoyable, social and a welcome distraction. Watch the training sessions whizz by when you don’t have to think about the route you’re taking or when you should turn back, sometimes it’s nice to just follow the leader.
3. Healthy competition
Running with a group can provide a great benchmark for how you are performing. Getting feedback from other runners on how you ran, discussing how you felt on parts of the run or seeing who is heading out fast and trying to match them are all fantastic positives.
4. Advice
Most running groups are local, so joining up is a great way to discover some new routes in your area. Advice on managing injury, what fun runs to sign up for and ways to improve over different speeds/distances are all things you can learn from experienced runners in your group.