FAQ
How can I contact the Rock N Road Runners?
Email [email protected] or check out RockNRoadRunners on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
What are the benefits of joining Rock N Road Runners?
Some are tangible, some are more philosophical.
- Free interval sessions coached by qualified run coaches, not just run leaders (£5 for non-members)
- 10% off in Rock N Road Run Co (subject to some conditions)
- Your own "globally" famous Hot Pink Rock N Road Runners shirt
- 10% off Trail Monkey Jersey events (subject to some conditions)
- Discounts at local proprietors
- Super supportive run community and private social media channels
- Member-only events including Jersey history run tours
There are loads more but if we were doing an elevator (lift) pitch, these would be the highlights.
What's the connection to the Rock N Road Run Co shop?
Without the shop, there would be no club.
Rock N Road Runners is the idea of Rik and Louise from the shop as they wanted to create a real running community, bringing together everyone in Jersey who runs or would like to.
It would have been a bit simpler if they'd picked a different name to avoid confusion but the two entities are linked like Loki and Thor (you decide which is which).
We don't get any financial backing from the shop and likewise we don't give anything to them from the club finances.
Do I need to be a member to join your runs?
Not at all. You could run with us forever and never join but why would you? Aside from the financial benefits of free intervals for members and a range of discounts, supporting the club allows it to support running in Jersey.
We've volunteered at the Jersey Half Marathon and the Hospice 2 Hospice Half Marathon. We've been to the awesome Jersey parkrun to help out with their volunteer roster and we've attended courses run by Move More Jersey and Jersey Sport to encourage a more active Jersey.
What running sessions do you currently...run?
See what you did there.
The "core" sessions are:
- Thursday = Intervals
- Saturday = Trails
- Sunday = Road
We currently also have bonus Tuesday Trails on...Tuesday evening and a lunchtime run on Wednesday. Check out the Group Runs page for full details including locations.
How can I join one of your runs?
Just turn up!
But seriously, how can I join one of your runs?
It really is that simple. Take a look at the Group Runs page for full details but you don't need to provide anything in advance so if you get a last minute cancellation or can't back to sleep one morning, pop along.
Our Thursday Intervals are free to members and first-timers or £5 for non-members (another good reason to join).
Our Saturday and Sunday runs are social runs and membership is not a requirement. If you join these regularly, it would be great if you would consider membership but there is really no pressure.
You can stop by the Rock N Road Run Co shop to ask in person about our runs or being a member. Or just slide into the Rock N Road Runners DMs on all good social media (not X).
I've never run before. Can I still join your club?
We welcome runners of every pace, but we advise that you should be able to run at least a continuous 5-10K before joining our trail runs and or at least 5K before joining our road runs. We also provide introduction to trails so look out for these and our interval training which could be an ideal place to get started or get back into running.
Why should I join the Rock N Road Runners?
Aside from the benefits we've listed before, sometimes it's just nice to be part of something.
The more members we have the more we can give back and support others, finding ways to be more inclusive. That could be specialist courses and coaches, equipment, or getting other external parties to provide help that we aren't equipped to.
What do I need to bring?
Running trainers and clothes.
The clothes are the important bit. Ignoring that could get us in trouble with the police. In terms of running trainers, just be aware of the surface, especially if you're coming along to trails.
Do I need to book or let you know in advance?
Nope.
I'm worried I'll be too slow
I think we all think that. In running like life, there will usually be someone faster and someone slower than you.
Our Group Runs are designed to be as inclusive as possible. At Thursday Intervals, the coach is there to answer any questions and although the workout is set, you choose the pace and how many reps you do.
Nobody is going to judge. Most of the time they're in their own world of pain, contemplating life choices too much to care about other people's paces.
Both of our weekend runs have a tail runner, just like parkrun, so you will never be the slowest person. If you need to walk, walk. That's completely fine.
Will I be able to keep up?
Probably not with the peeps at the front, but that's cool. We let them do their thing.
The Group Run leaders at the weekend will set a "conversational" pace. And while it's always slightly subjective, the idea is to keep everyone more or less together, sometimes stopping to regroup.
The routes are also "out and back" so if you want to turn at any point, you're more than welcome to. Just means you get to order coffee first.
Do I have to be fast?
Isn't this the same as the other questions?
But seriously, we completely understand that everyone starts somewhere and it's intimidating to go along to a run club.
That's part of the reason that we started this club - we wanted to be different and as inclusive as possible.
We're putting in as much features as we can to support all runners - out and back courses, lead and tail runners, separate groups for different times.
That's why the more people join, the more we can help others.
What if I'm not a runner?
If you run, you're a runner.
If you don't run, put one foot in front of the other and repeat.
Now you're a runner.
Can I walk?
We're a run club at heart so although you're welcome to walk at any point on our Group Runs, we'd encourage you to have reached a level of running first.
Move More Jersey run great Couch to 5k courses and Jersey Parkrun is also fantastic for building up to joining us for one of the longer sessions.
What is the best group session to join?
Depends what your goals are to be honest. Each of them have different benefits so the best thing to do is get in touch in advance.
As an example, 90 minutes on the North Coast trails might not be the best first session but how about one of our Intro To Trail Running courses?
What age do I have to be?
At the moment it's 18 and upward. That's to ensure that we have the right support in place for our members.
How many people are in the club and how many people show up to group runs?
The amount of people in the club climbs through the membership year which runs from August to July. Some people choose to join halfway through if they have a particular goal in mind but the most benefits are gained by joining August 1st.
The smallest groups we have are probably 5-10 and funnily enough, that tends to coincide with windy and rainy conditions. The largest attendance we have had was probably around 70?
What does a typical group session look like?
Apart from super cool, there is no typical session. Intervals change each week, as do the location of the weekend runs.
Some are easier, some are harder. All will make you feel awesome after completing.
How much does it cost to join?
£75 for the full year (August to July). £50 for the half year (January to July).
No brainer right.
How do I join the committee?
Send an email to [email protected] or contact us via social media to find out more. You can also chat to the committee members at most of our Group Runs.
How do I volunteer?
Again, send an email to [email protected] or get on social media. We always need volunteers for our sessions and also to support local running events.
Are beginners welcome?
100%
Will you teach me to run better?
By attending our Group Runs, we think you will become a better runner. However, that's not necessarily from a technical perspective.
We do coaching sessions, nutrition talks and the group pretty much chats about running all the time so if you don't learn a bit, that's probably on you!