Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Who are we?

We are simply a group of friendly people who love to run. Some of us are quick.... and some of us are not! It doesn't matter. Whether you’re a serious runner, a social runner or just starting out, we’d love to welcome you to our club.

Where do we meet?

During the winter months we meet every Wednesday at Manor Road (meeting on the road outside the entrance to the University Sports Hall). We meet at 6.55pm for a 7.00pm start. During the summer months and lighter evenings we often visit the Leicestershire countryside basing our run on one of the County’s many pleasant hostelries. See the training page for details.

What happens at a training night?

Our training runs are usually between 6 and 7 miles, but there is normally scope for a short cut if you are working your way up to that sort of distance. Unlike some larger clubs, we don't have formal pace groups. Everyone starts together and after a bit of a chat the faster runners up the pace and we settle into smaller groups. Who you run with depends on how much you want to push yourself! Whilst we like to keep things informal, we will always make sure that beginners have someone to run with.

I'm worried I won't be good enough.

Don't worry! If you like to run then the chances are, you'll be fine. We are not all elite athletes (far from it in some cases!). To get the most out of training runs it would be best if you can manage to run about 4 miles (whatever the speed) but if in doubt, turn up and have a go anyway. Everyone has to start somewhere - none of us were born runners - and we're very happy to help you. Most people find that running with others is the quickest and easiest way to improve. If you make a regular commitment to your running whether it is with a club or on your own, you'll be surprised to find how quickly you improve.

Does everybody have to do races?

Our members take part in the Leicestershire Road Running League, The Derby Runner Cross Country League and most local races. Some runners join us as experienced racers, some know they want to give it a try but others, who now find they enjoy it, hadn't even considered it when they joined. We're delighted when members want to represent the club by entering races, but we will never push.

If you've never tried one, races can be a lot of fun, and they're a great way improve your fitness. Don't worry if you're not very quick - you're almost guaranteed not to be last and nobody minds if you are, anyway! Runners are friendly and supportive people, so you'll get plenty of encouragement along the way.

I'm interested, what do I do next?

If you are interested in running with us, just turn up to one of the training nights. The club meets on a Wednesday evening at approx. 6:55 for a 7pm start. Check the training page for details. You are welcome to come and run with us anytime you like, without obligation. You don't need to sign up straight away. If you'd like more information you can email us or phone Dave Swan on 0116 2919745.

Why join Roadhoggs?

Running with a group is more fun and, particularly during the dark winter evenings, it can be safer too. It is easier to motivate yourself when you know you will be running with others. You will learn new routes and you can stretch yourself by running with the faster runners or have an easier workout with the slower ones, depending on how you feel. In the summer we base some of our training runs on country pubs, so that we can run more interesting routes, using footpaths as well as roads.

Membership costs just £25 a year (£15 concessions). For this you get several benefits:

• You can enter races at the “attached” rate, which usually saves you £2 each time.
• You can run in the Leicestershire Road Running League Winter League races, which are only open to members of affiliated clubs, and the club will even pay your entry fee (£2.50 per race).

• You can run in Derby Runner Cross Country events, which are only open to members of affiliated clubs, and again, the club will pay your entry fee (£2 per race).
• When you run your first league race for the club you will receive a club running vest.
• You can buy club kit at subsidised rates.
• All members who satisfy some basic criteria can be entered into a draw for the Club’s London Marathon place(s).
• Regular newsletters and information about upcoming events.

If you would like to join the club, you can download a membership form. You can either send the form (and cheque) to the printed address or give it to one of the committee at a training night.

How did the club get its name?

I suppose it all started with the huge success of the first ever London Marathon in 1981. Suddenly you started to see people running through the streets in an effort to keep fit. Suddenly road-running races started to spring up around the county. Suddenly new clubs started to form around Leicestershire alongside Leicester Coritanians. At Hoggs Insurance Brokers a group of us started to run together at lunchtimes. Some of these had already joined running clubs to run in the newly formed Leicestershire Road-Running League. On these lunch-time runs the idea of forming our own club started to take up more and more chatter, and eventually in the summer of 1984 a meeting was set-up in which the idea and plans were put forward to the interested members. From this meeting plans were put in place to elect a Committee and a new constitution and to register with the Midland Counties AAA as a newly formed club under the name of Hogg Robinson Roadhoggs. This was sanctioned and in August 1984 the new club under the Chairmanship of Kim Richardson took to the roads. The original colours were blue following the generous sponsorship of the Insurance Brokers and in the early days membership was limited to company employees only. These restrictions were relaxed over the years as friends and relations began to join up with the other runners. In 1991 the club changed its name to Roadhoggs Leicester AC and in 1997 the club colours became burgundy after the Aon Group had taken over from Bain Hogg. Dave Swan, Chairman 

Tell me more about the Road Running League

The Leicestershire Road Running League is in its 25th season. There are currently 22 affiliated clubs. The League is decided over the course of 11 races running from January to August or September each year. Individual prizes (over all, age group and handicap) are awarded after the first 5 races (The Winter League) and at the end of the season (The Summer League). Winter League races are classified as 'closed'. That means only members of clubs affiliated to the league may enter. Runners are registered by their clubs and each is issued with a running number which they use for all 5 races. If necessary, new members can be registered on the morning of the race but it makes administration easier if this is done in advance.

League positions are decided on the basis of the aggregate scores of the first 8 men (men), first 4 men over 40 (veteran men), first 4 ladies (ladies) or first 3 ladies over 40 (veteran ladies) to finish, from each team. There is no team selection - everyone who wants to run, can do - and anyone finishing high enough will count for the team.

Races designated as part of the Summer League are open to anyone. LRRL club members must enter for each individual race, either through the normal race entry or through a 'block entry' made by their club. League points and individual rankings are calculated once the unaffiliated runners have been removed from the results.

You don't need to be an elite runner to win a trophy. All runners who complete the full 11 races receive a special award at the end of season presentation evening. There is also a handicap competition to encourage runners to improve their performance. Each runner receives a time allowance (based on their previous performances) which is subtracted from their 'race time' to produce a 'handicap time'.