Frontrunners Fall 2022 Half Marathon, Marathon & Return to Run Training Programs

Welcome to our training programs! We love to run together - building community while improving fitness is our goal. This summer we have the marathon, half-marathon, and return to run/maintenance options meeting twice per week.

MARATHON, HALF-MARATHON PROGRAM

AND RETURN TO RUN/MAINTENANCE OPTION

These training programs will begin on Wednesday June 15, 2022 and build towards the 2022 Royal Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon & 8km. We also offer customized schedules for other race goals including the Finlayson 28k. We work hard to support our runners through our run leaders, weekly emails and private Facebook group. We provide a technical shirt, participant store discount, training tips, editorials, and speaker events (as allowed) to keep you motivated!

While we do not require proof of vaccination to participate in the clinic we do encourage all of our runners to be vaccinated and boosted if they can. We also ask that if you are sick you do not attend any group runs.

Organized clinic runs take place from Wednesday June 15 to Saturday October 8, 2022.

Goal races are:

Marathon Runners: Royal Victoria Marathon

Half-Marathon Runners: Royal Victoria Half Marathon

Return to Run/Maintenance: Royal Victoria 8k Road Race

Please note race registration is not included with clinic registration. Please visit https://raceroster.com/events/2022/56984/2022-royal-victoria-marathon to register for the races on October 9, 2022

Our training schedule includes a weekly run program with individual “homework” runs, workouts and long runs. Our group runs happen on Wednesday and Saturdays. The coached Wednesday workouts focus on hills, speed and tempos and are done based on store location. Saturday morning long runs will be run-leader led and focus on building distance and endurance. The Finlayson 28k training mixes in the social aspect of the half-marathon schedule with some self-organized trail specific training. There are several groups of trail runners in the clinic that you may be able to run with.

Meeting Spots: There are four Wednesday Workout meeting options (Downtown Early Morning 6am, Downtown Evening 5:30pm, Shelbourne Evening 6pm, Westshore Evening 6pm). We may host some Wednesday evenings from the various Frontrunners stores (outside) with limited-to-no washroom access. On Saturdays all the Marathoners meet together somewhere in the Greater Victoria region at 7:30am or 8:00am for their long run. The Half-Marathoners and Return-to-Run/Maintenance Group also meet together somewhere in the Greater Victoria region on Saturdays at 8:00am for their long run. We try to spread out our Saturday start locations throughout the region, acknowledging that we have runners from all over the community.

Return to Run/Maintenance: The Return to Run/Maintenance option will follow the structure of the marathon and half-marathon training (meeting Wednesdays and Saturdays with the group) but with reduced mileage and optional lower intensity workouts. The group will build to ~75 mins (~10-12km) on Saturday and the option provides a structured, social group to build and maintain a strong running base. This is a great option for those who are running regularly or returning to running after a break due to any number of reasons, including an injury, illness, etc., but not interested in building to a marathon or half-marathon. This group will have two options: various run/walk intervals (10 min run/ 1 min walk or 5/1 etc.) and a run continuous group. Runners can move into the half marathon group at any time.

Pre-requisites:

Marathon - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 75 mins / 12 km and be running at least three times a week at the start of this clinic; first week has a long run of 14 km.

Half-Marathon - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 45 minutes and be running at least three times a week, at the start of this clinic; first week has a long run of 9 km.

Return to Run/Maintenance - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 35-40 minutes and be running at least a couple times a week, at the start of the clinic, noting that the group will have an interval option (run 10min / walk 1min, repeat) and a continuous run option; first week has a long run of 40 minutes.