Every Monday at 7:30pm, we head to the floodlit track at Aldershot Military Stadium for an hour of coached speedwork. We normally have between 20 and 30 runners come along, from HRR and our friends at Blackwater Valley Runners (BVR), and it’s a brilliant way to start the training week.
- When: Mondays, 7:30pm, for about an hour
- Where: Aldershot Military Stadium, Queen’s Avenue, Aldershot. Meet inside the stadium; park in Car Park 6, off Rawlinson Road
- Cost: £3, pre-booked through the club shop (it covers the stadium hire)
- Who: runners of all abilities from HRR and BVR
There’s also a faster group for runners targeting a sub-42-minute 10k, with a parallel session such as 20 × 400m with a 60-second jog recovery.
Why do track?
Because it’s probably the best way to push yourself in a structured way, and train along-side other club mates. Measured laps makes pacing accurate, so you can learn exactly what your 5k or 10k effort feels like. And there are no kerbs, potholes or traffic, which matters on a dark winter evening, and the floodlights mean you can leave your head torch at home. Training in a large group also helps to pull you along too: most people push harder with others around them than they ever would alone.
And please don’t be put off thinking you need to be a “track runner”. Plenty of our marathoners and trail runners use Monday nights to get quicker over every distance.
Coming for the first time?
Book through the HRR shop, arrive ten minutes early and introduce yourself to the coach, with a rough idea of your current 5k or 10k time. Normal running shoes are fine (no spikes needed), and bring a layer for between reps and something to drink. On the track, keep lane 1 clear for people running reps, and look both ways before you cross.
See you on Monday! Book your track session, and if you’re not a member yet, find out about joining HRR.
Many thanks to Colin and Dom for the photos!
