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Club Awards

In 2005 Quakers Running Club was 'Highly Commended' by Cancer Research UK for its continued support of Darlington's Race for Life. Click here to view the award.

 

 Enter the Darlington Race for Life

The club is also recognised by the Flora London Marathon for its dedication and support given to beginners and has been designated a Flora London Marathon Running Club Partner, the only club in County Durham to receive this accolade.

London Marathon Partner Club Site

 

About the Club

The club's main training base is at Queen Elizabeth 6th Form College Playing Fields, Abbey Road, Darlington, DL3 8LR. We train on a Tuesday and Thursday evenings (meeting at the school at 6:30pm). Formed in May 1995 with a membership of just six. The club was formed to promote the participation of all disciplines of athletics and has quickly established itself as one of the regions more active promoters of running events.

At present the club boasts a coaching staff of twenty qualified coaches specialising in a wide range of disciplines from sprints to ultra distance running, including field events, as well as more diverse disciplines such as fell running, strength & conditioning and orienteering. We cater for all types of runners and boast a varied membership, accomodating for all ability ranges. No one is ever left behind! We consider ourselves to be the most friendly and active running club in the area.

If you are interested in joining, you might find our membership introduction pack useful. Click here to download the file as a PDF.


Member Spotlight Archive: Mark Colling PDF Print E-mail
Written by Michael Joyeux   
Monday, 18 October 2010 18:43

This month's member spotlight is on one of our Coaches and recent Thunder Runner, Mark Colling.

 

How did you get into running and why?
I really started running because Wendy seemed to enjoy it so much, and to improve my fitness for football (which I've now retired from to concentrate on running!).

What kept you going when you first started running?
Everyone was really friendly, and the sessions keep everyone involved, rather than being elitist.  Cake and flapjack after every race is always an incentive as well.
 
How much training do you typically do?
Usually, it's just the 2 club sessions, with either a race or a long run at the weekend.  For the marathon, I followed a schedule that had me running 5-6 times a week but I couldn't maintain that for more than a couple of months.
 
Be honest, do you enjoy training?
It's not very often that I don't enjoy training, although I must admit to always trying to coach when it's the 2000m rep session!!
 
What's your aim for 2010?
At the start of the year, I just wanted to break 50 minutes for a 10k, which I did by quite a margin early in the year at the Mermaid.  Now, I just want to try as many different races as I can, and most importantly, to enjoy myself.
 
What is your favourite race/distance/terrain?
The Thunder Run will take some beating for me, but 10 mile trail races are the ones I prefer.  The Turbo X in Sheffield was great fun last year, and I'm looking forward to running/walking/crawling/wading it again in October.

What's your idea of running heaven?
Anything different, ideally with a bit of mud, and a nice goody bag.
 
What's your idea of running hell?
I won't mention any specific races, but running 3 laps around a racetrack really doesn't appeal to me!
 
Any advice to newcomers?
Remember that this is what we do for fun - it's ok to try your hardest, but if you stop enjoying yourself, think about what your priorities are.
Best way to relax/reward yourself after a race?
Pub!!

What is the best part of the club in your opinion?
The people.  It doesn't make a difference if you're running well or if you're struggling, you can always count on them to provide support.
 
Apple, Water, Banana or Mars bar in your ideal goodie bag?
I always need a drink, so it'd have to be water, although Dave T always seems to get a bottle of beer somehow!
 
Finally, whose going to come first in the Club Championship out of you and Wendy?
Whilst I'm ahead at the moment, I think Wendy will catch me up when she gets a few longer races under her belt as I've got to finish a few minutes ahead to get more points, and it's difficult enough to beat her at all!!
 

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