Training Groups

This group covers all types of running and fitness. The athletes are also introduced to field events using equipment suitable for their age.

These fun sessions allow athletes to discover their strengths before they move into more serious training groups.

There are a few opportunities to enter competitions both on the track and in cross country races.

Graham Shires heads this group, aided by Dylan Brudenell. Parents are always welcome to get involved.

This middle-distance group is for young athletes predominantly aged 10-14 years. We focus mainly on training for events from 600m to 1500m on the track and also Junior Parkruns (2K) and cross-country races. Although we do lots of longer running, we do plenty of sprinting and also enable the athletes to try jumping, throwing and hurdles. Training is fun using a mixture of games and relays as well as both timed and untimed structured repetitions. Guidance is given regarding extra optional running and circuit sessions during the week as athletes get older and more experienced. We always start with running drills and often ladder, hurdle or medicine ball drills to help with basic running form, speed, strength and agility - crucial to the development of a young athlete. Sessions are tailored to the athletes so that they complete training suitable for their age, stage of development and ability. We foster an atmosphere of inclusion and encouragement.

Athletes normally compete for the club once or twice a month. In the winter, our main competitions are the Sussex League (with races for all ages from Under 11 and Under 13 upwards). In the summer, there is a separate Under 13 East Sussex League (where U11s can also take part) and an Under 15 Sussex League. Our squad also competes in the Sussex County Cross Country Championships, the cross country and road relay championships and the County Athletics Championships.  We have had several individual county medallists from the squad and our athletes have also won numerous county team medals. There are competition opportunities for all abilities, and we welcome help from parents/carers both at training sessions and at competitions.

This group is coached by Jenny Brown and Sue Fry.

This sprint group is for young athletes aged between 11and 14 years.

We focus on training for events like 100m,200m,400m, relays, hurdles. Plus, there are taster sessions in field events such as long jump, high jump javelin, shot put.

Coaching sessions include warm up, running drills including starts (to develop running efficiency, reaction time etc.), strength and conditioning, speedwork, a cool down and flexibility.

Sessions are varied to make them fun and interesting.

Some longer aerobic endurance running elements are included to enable athletes to develop aerobically, improving their speed endurance and all-round fitness and stamina.

Many in the group have the opportunity to compete in under 14 and under 15 local athletic leagues and some have represented Sussex.

The coach is Mike Thompson who is assisted by Phil Wood.

Typical sessions in Sue’s Sprint Squad are short intervals, pyramids, breaking events down and block work.

The schedules follow a double periodised year, catering for those competing indoors and then building up for the outdoor season. All aspects of training are covered including work on technique, stamina, strength and of course, speed!

Each month an optional session is delivered on other events such as hurdles, high jump, and long jump to offer variety. Some athletes may also choose to do a throws session.

It is a mixed group aged 14 to 22. Athletes compete in the U15 local league, U17/U20 Youth Development league and the southern Athletics league as well as open meetings and championships.

The coach is Sue Keen, a UK Athletics Level 4 Performance coach and Level 3 combined events coach. Sue has many years of experience coaching club athletes, guiding then from County level to Regional and a few to National level. Schedules are delivered for either 100m and 200m sprinters or 400m. A clear pathway is set out, so athletes know which events to target and to reach their full potential.

Training is based on 100/200m sprinting but also helps for sports such as rugby, football and hockey.

We welcome absolute beginners to National athletes, with sessions being individualised depending on goals and current ability.

The group is male and female ranging from 12-55 years old.

You will run with similar level runners, and we apply a focus on technique and quality with adequate rest to allow full effort. We generally run multiple sets of distances range from 10m to 300m.

The coach is Dan Sheppard and is on Instagram as @speedscholars.

Chris' squad was set up in 2015 with only 5 athletes who mostly ran for fun. Today we have 20+ members who all compete at various levels of competition.

Training volumes are dependent upon age and the length of time the athlete has been participating in the sport but can vary from four sessions to nine sessions per week for athletes aiming at national level of competition. This winter we have 12 athletes from under 13’s to under 20’s who have been selected to be part of the Sussex Endurance Squad, meeting at various venues through the coming months for training with other Sussex athletes before hopefully heading off to represent the county at national events as a team.

Throughout the year the races that the athletes compete in are recorded by UK Athletics and athletes are ranked within their age group. Our squad would expect to have in the region of 6 to 8 ranked within the top 30, some achievement, as this covers all of the home nations! In recent times we have had athletes represent England in international races which can be of great motivation to all involved within the squad.

As the evenings begin to draw in, we look back at our summer achievements and look forward to the winter season with great anticipation.

Coach Chris Voice says "As a former competing athlete – and now coach – for over four decades, I have been fortunate to be involved in a sport that I love and am passionate about, with the ultimate aim to run fast.

Over that time, I have visited many countries and met some fantastic people on my journey. I hope that some of the squad at Eastbourne Rovers get the same experience throughout their running journey. So for now, I sign off to put together more challenging, fun session plans."

Training mainly on the track, this group's members commonly train to compete in distances from 3000m to half-marathon, and even marathon, but will also race shorter, middle-distance events such as 800m and 1500m at the Southern Athletics League and Sussex Veterans league in summer. In winter the group competes in the Sussex Cross Country League and East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League.

The group consists of adult male and female athletes of mixed ages.

A typical session might be kilometre reps, 400 metre reps, or anything in between. In spring and summer, the group trains twice a week on the track. In autumn and winter, this changes to one hill set, and one track session. Drills and formwork are carried out between the warmup and main session.

The coach is Pete Standen, hence the group's name.

The Road Runners are covered in great detail on their page of the website. Road Runners cater for a wide range of running abilities, from complete beginners through the annual Couch to 5k programme, people running for fitness,  seasoned marathon and ultra runners, and lots of things in-between.

Check out the Road Runners page for everything you need to know.