The Harrier committee on Feb 5th heard of a number of opportunities coming up for Harriers to be involved in different activities. What do you fancy doing?
The Wells Fun Run committee is looking for some more of the Harriers to get involved in the administration and organisation of the event. This will include reviewing the main race distance, the race route and the event date. 1, or 2 people jointly, are sought to take on the Race Director role, whilst a number of the older committee members have volunteeered to carry on in their roles. Andrew Deamer is convening a meeting of the Fun Run committee fairly soon so please contact him if you can help in taking on any role. Andrew is at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The next edition of the Street 5km race (number 149!) is, as usual, looking for marshals or finish officials, to come and help on the night. Are you a Harrier who has never volunteered at Street?..or maybe not at this year's Series? Contact Ed Tickner, Race Director, or Ian Eddy if you can help on Wed Feb 12th or Wed March 12th. Likewise the Babcary Road race which we support, needs finish line officials - contact Gary Tubridy or Helen Rutter to offer to help.
How about officiating at track & field?
Just as we need competent officials at road races and cross-country to ensure that races are held properly and positions and times recorded correctly we also need suitably trained volunteers to help out at track and field events. The Harriers Monday sessions see a competition evening once a month between April and July - can you help out for 90 minutes? There is a training course for volunteers to understand the different role of officials on Saturday April 5th at the Yeovil clubhouse. Contact Paul Chadwick and he will send you details or go to http://www.englandathletics.org/page.asp?section=451§ionTitle=Officials
How about Coaching?
The Monday training sessions for juniors continue to be very well supported - this winter has seen excellent numbers of very enthusiastic and motivated juniors taking part in our coached sessions under the guidance of our dedicated group of coaches - some of whom have now been coaching for over 10 years, and some individuals will have clocked up over 500 sessions of volunteer activity for the Club in that time. We are looking to recruit two more volunteer coaches and there are 2-day courses coming up which you can attend to get qualified as an Assistant Coach:
Sat/Sun Feb 22nd/23rd at Salisbury OR
Sat/Sun March 15th/16th at Taunton
A few of the current Assistant Coaches are now about to embark on their full Athletics Coach qualificantion: Al Thorner, Heather Seager and Jon James. Al has been coaching the Monday junior sprints group for the past two years; Heather provides coaching in a range of events at the Harrier's Millfield sessions as well as at Yeovil sessions with the Olympiads; and Jon James has been working with the endurance group on a Tuesday at Millfield as well as having helped out with the Monday juniors in the past.
The Harriers are also keen to support any member who wishes to qualify with the Leadership in Running & Fitness Qualification - this would then equip you to help set up a beginners group to the Club, perhaps on a Wednesday in conjunction with the existing Wednesday group, or on another day at another location. The Harriers have set up several Running Sisters groups in the past.
More information specifically about coaching here http://www.englandathletics.org/page.asp?section=449
The Club will pay any costs associated with the training that a member goes on if theyare then using that learnt skill at Harrier sessions. See the section to the bottom right of the Harrier website front page for more information on various volunteering opportunties
...or Racing abroad with the Harriers?
Members of Wells City Harriers have been invited to take part in a 10km road race to be held at Paray Le Monial on Saturday June 7th. This town in the south of France is one of the towns the city has been twinned with for some time http://www.paraylemonial.fr/
The Harriers have a long tradition of running events with our twin towns in both France and Germany (Bad Durkheim). (See Harrier history if you want to know some of the details of the escapades!).
Details of the Saturday evening race can be found here: http://www.uacb.eu/du-7-juin-2014.html
How good is your French?
Ed Tickner is researching the practicalities of a group of Harriers going on a Harrier-subsidised trip. Please contact him if you are interested in knowing more about it, or to express an interest in going.
or getting ready for the forthcoming Track & field season?
All of the dates for the Club's track & field competitions, where we compete with/as the Yeovil Olympiads, are now available. Full dates can be found on the Yeovil Olympiads website at http://www.yeovilolympiads.com/Pages/Fixtures.aspx
The early season Spring Open event is on Sunday April 6th at the Yeovil Arena and the timetable of events is here: http://www.yeovilolympiads.com/Pages/SpringOpen.aspx
The next Harrier committee meeting is Wednesday April 2nd and the Club's AGM will be held on Wednesday May 21st, followed by a skittles match, at Wells Rugby Club.
Club membership forms for 2014/15 with renewals due on April 1st can be obtained from the Membership secretary, Alice Knight, and will also feature on this website soon. If there is anyone in arrears for 2013/14 please send all monies as soon as possible.