This year is the 30th anniversary of the Yeovil Town Road Running Club. The official anniversary event is to be held on Saturday 23 June (put it in your diary now). There will be a members' relay in the afternoon followed by evening celebrations. More details shortly.

NEXT YTRRC EVENTS: MEMBERS' 5K HANDICAP RACE 1: 15 MAY (followed by AGM - click here for agenda) NINESPRINGS 9K 10 JUNE Sponsored by The Shead Family, Pardoes Solicitors and Goldenstones Leisure Centre The Shead Family SUMMER 5K SERIES RACE 3: 13 JUNE sponsored by Ironbridge Runner 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS 23 JUNE 2012/13 MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS The 2012/13 membership subscriptions are due on 1 May. Please ensure you pay yours on time. For membership form click here. CLUB ENDORSED EVENT Wessex Ridgeway Relay - Sunday, 20 May As last year went so well and was thoroughly enjoyed by those who took part we'll be running this as a club endorsed event again this year. Mini-bus transport will be arranged (volunteer drivers needed please). Please let matt Driver know if you would like to be included in a club team: runningmatt@mypostoffice.co.uk. Please provide contact information including email address and 'phone/mobile number as well as indicating whether you would prefer to recce your leg on a Saturday or Sunday. 2012 Club Championships For news up to the completion of round 4 click here.

Summer 5k Series Results Provisional results: May 5k May Fun Run New members If you think you'd like to join our road running club why not come along to get to know us first? You'll be welcome at our club runs on Tuesday evenings, pub runs on Thursday evenings, track sessions on Friday evenings and social runs on Sunday mornings. There's no obligation and (apart from £1 for the Friday evening track sessions) no charge. If you then decide you'd like to join us complete a membership form and either send it to Debbie Neal (address on the form) or hand it to any committee member. We have very nearly 200 paid up members (July 2011) so there's sure to be others of your level and ability that you can run with. Recently "retired" club secretary, Martin Chaffey, said "What's so good about our club is that at local races we put out such a high number of entries that reflect all levels of ability. We have members competing at the front, with some of the very best road and cross country runners, and spread throughout the field, right down to the tail enders. All these runners are achieving their own goals and receive the full support of the club." Sunday emails It appears that some members may not be receiving the Sunday emails. If you are one of them please send your details to Terry Byrne to be included in his list. Facebook Some of the members of the Yeovil Town Road Running Club (YTRRC) have set up a Facebook Group. Whilst the officers and committee of the YTRRC are fully supportive of this group it should be noted that any views expressed by members of the group are their personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of any officer, the committee or the YTRRC members more generally. Friday Track Sessions - 5k Training Schedule Click here for the 12 week training schedule to improve your 5k times. You can find the 5k time trial "before and after" times here.

All runners please note: Parts of the routes of many of the YTRRC races – and some club night routes – are on private land over which there is no public right of way and for which the organisers are grateful for the kind permission of the landowners concerned. It is often difficult to distinguish these parts of the routes as they are over well used tracks, trails and cattle or sheep paths. If runners wish to use these routes for recce or training purposes they should ensure that they will not be straying from public rights of way or, if they wish to do so, first obtain the consent of the landowner(s). Please note that as well as extending to the landowners the common courtesy of obtaining their permission this is a matter of personal safety. Further details of the parts of routes not on public rights of way and contact details for the landowners can be obtained from the relevant race director, available from the event page – see links at top of this page.

What holds people back from joining a running club?

What are they missing out on by remaining "unattached"? By going it alone?

Whether running purely for fun, for fitness or weight loss reasons or with some other objective, such as running a marathon, a running club can help in so many ways. You'll find it helps you keep up your enthusiasm and there is always someone around to talk to if you have running related problems. There's also that huge benefit of "feeling part of something" at running events and races.

So, what does the Yeovil Town Road Running Club have to offer?

Well, for a start we have club runs each Tuesday evening. These runs are led by experienced runners and there are distance and pace options to suit all.

There's a Beginner and Slower Runner Group at the Tuesday evening club runs to ease in those who don't feel confident or fit enough to join the main runs. There are also dedicated Beginner and Slower Runner Group longer runs each Sunday morning, speed training sessions on alternate Friday evenings  and designated races throughout the year.

Shortly after joining the club new member Sue Whaites said: "I have been to a couple of Tuesday runs so far and the atmosphere and friendship in the club is really great. It is such a change to find a road running club that is not elitist and genuinely encourages everyone to enjoy their running, at whatever level they are."

2011 sees the addition of the Members' 5k Handicap. This consists of a series of six races taking place at Yeovil Town Football Club, normally on the fourth Tuesday of each month (check club calendar), April to September inclusive, as an alternative to the club run on those evenings. For more detail see Members' 5k Handicap on the club championship page of this website..

On a Thursday evenings we hold pub runs, starting and finishing at various pubs in the area and many runners stay on for a meal afterwards. These are run as a social group, at the pace of the slowest, so suitable for all!

There are speed training sessions held at the Yeovil Athletic Arena every Friday evening. Several members of the club take part regularly and agree that the sessions are key to attaining improved race times. One of the main reasons that they are so successful is because they are suitable for all ages and abilities and with somewhat of a "mixed bag" at most sessions there is a real feeling of camaraderie and team spirit. The sessions are open to all, with a (very) small charge to non-members.

There are also several club hosted races throughout the year. Here you can put a little back in if you wish (there's no requirement to do so) by helping with the organization or marshaling on the day. Or, of course, you can take part, wearing the famous YTRRC vest!

The club draws up an annual schedule of championship races spread throughout the year with distances from 5 kilometers to half marathon (members are allowed to select their own marathon if they want to do one!). The club champions,  man and lady, are based on the best eight results in the championship races and there is a "points king" and "points queen" for the man and lady accumulating most points in all of the eligible races.

What else?

There's the "Real Runner Hat" awarded to Yeovil Town Road Running Club members completing their first competitive event. There's also the "Grand Slam Hat" awarded to members completing a race at "all the distances" - that's 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers, 10 miles, half marathon and marathon, - in a year, between the annual dinner/presentation nights held early in December. For 2011 there's also the "Super Slam Hat" which includes all of the "Grand Slam" Hat distances plus an ultra race.

A trip to Argentan, in France, the first weekend in October for their half marathon, seems to have become an annual event.

And on top of all that there's a social events programme too!

With all this how can you not join us? The current subscription rates are only £20 for the first year, which includes a club vest and membership of England Athletics, and £15 annually thereafter. E-mail Debbie Neal for more information or complete a membership form and send to her. Or why not come along to a few Tuesday evening club runs to get to know us first?