Crewkerne Running Club takes members and those who run with us and our organised events seriously. The Club is affiliated to the Association of Running Clubs (ARC) and England Athletics (EA). Therefore the club adheres to the requirements for Health and Safety as laid down by these governing bodies.
Because we are affiliated to both these organisation we are also covered by their insurance policies E.g. see below for ARC
http://www.runningclubs.org.uk/insurance_faqs_2019.pdf
General Membership
As members of Crewkerne Running Club when you join we encourage you to always carry an ICE Tag or medical information and Emergency contact number with you, if you have an accident or are taken ill your details are available for medical help. It’s a good idea to carry a phone for calling for help and What3Words app is good for giving you location if you need to ring for help. It’s also good practice to inform someone where you are going and anticipated return time especially if you are going off road.
Keep yourself safe by carrying/ wearing appropriate gear for the weather conditions. Be aware of conditions underfoot and wear the correct shoes for conditions. Take enough fluids with you. If possible run with someone else and run within your ability.
If you run at night or in poor visibility wear something light in colour and reflective especially at night. Use a head torch or carry a torch.
If you are not familiar with the area/ route then carry paper map/ compass or on phone and know how to use them.
Club Nights and training
Crewkerne Running Club are committed to keeping all safe on Club Night. The Club has officials who lead more formal training sessions on some nights. These are formally qualified via England Athletics. These are in Running Fitness (LIRF) and Coaching (CIRF). Currently Sarah Warren is our only Coach, but Ben Adams will shortly be training in the roles. Ben, Fran Frost and Jenny Pocock are in the process of completing the LIRF courses. As part of the above qualifications there are requirements for First Aid Cover as well these will be a 2 day course covering medical help during outdoor activities in potentially more remote areas. The Club also has some other members who have first aid cover but to a lesser degree.
Whilst formal training sessions are run whether it is Couch to 5K, or sessions with Ben/ Sarah then rest assured there should be some level of medical cover. However this cannot be guaranteed for every training session whether it is one of the formal sessions or a normal club training.
The level of first aid cover recognised by EA is broken down into 3 stages. Cat A, B and C. Cat A is the basic First aid and deemed to cover first Aid where you are close to other resources, so typically at a venue, home etc. Cat B and C are more specific for activities away from a venue and in more remote areas. Those taking the LIRF and CIRF have or are about to train to Cat C level. These have to be updated every 2 or 3 years. Some other Club members are qualified to the equivalent to Cat A.
It is important that those who attend training sessions inform the coaches of any medical conditions and take appropriate precautions to run in the correct group/ distance and take account of the ‘General Membership’ suggestions above.
As stated above it is not guaranteed that specific First aid cover will be on hand at every running night or within each pace/ distance group. The onus is on every one who turns up at club nights to take heed of the general membership guidance and for each person to look out for each other.
Club sessions will be organised into groups, it’s important to warm up/ stretch beforehand and pick the correct group to run with. It’s a policy of Crewkerne Running Club that no runner is left on their own, so groups should always keep together/ regroup regularly so nobody gets lost etc.
If anyone feels they are struggling they should notify the group so that they can take appropriate action to get them back to HQ or call for help.
Club events
The running club currently organise 3 Races which are permitted via Association of Running Clubs (ARC). These events have external First Aid cover at the Race HQ and potentially Club members marshalling with some level of First Aid. Each event has its own dedicated risk assessment carried out each year. This is available to view on the event website/ on race day. Runners are also sent race info sheets and briefed before the start of each run.