Article kindly written by Hannah Price
The ability to run over long distances gave us the evolutionary edge and formed packs amongst individuals, encouraging a unity to form and succeed. This principle is one that is still present within the running community today.
My running journey began at the age of 17 when running was a distraction from studying, university applications and working. Now at the age of 28, running is not a distraction, it is my way of surviving. I have discovered support is the key to success and stems from the community you choose to surround yourself with.
Bury Athletics Club (AC) is a community establishment based at the heart of the town centre. The club is run entirely by volunteers who give their time generously and are committed to coaching, officiating and to supporting all club members.
Ranked nationally, the club participates in numerous events throughout the year including the Northern League, the Red Rose Cross Country League, National Road Relays and the Senior Grand Prix events. The ability of members ranges from international athletes to fun runners, all enjoying participating in a sport that offers a wide variety of events to explore. There are team and individual events which allow members to explore their own potential whilst contributing as a collective. We are always looking for new volunteers to join our brilliant group of coaches, officials and helpers to make athletics happen in Bury.
The club vision is to promote Athletics and the Club in the local community and emphasise the wellbeing Athletics creates. All involved are treated with care and respect which has created a long lasting community which is continuously growing through the promotion of equal opportunities.
Members train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the year. Training sessions run from 6.30 to 7.30pm for under 9s and under 11s. For all other groups, training commences at 7.00pm through to 8.00pm. The Athletics Track is open throughout all seasons for casual use or for hire by individuals, clubs, schools and colleges or groups requiring a training and competition facility. It can also be hired for events, including exhibitions, galas and fund raising days.
The successes of the club are celebrated annually at the Presentation Evening and Christmas Party which is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the hard work from members, parents and the committee and to contemplate the up and coming events planned for the following year.
Those involved with the sport will tell you that running is so much more than a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Whether you’re pounding the pavements for a personal best, trawling the trails or motioning for mindfulness,
running offers variety to those seeking it and the club provides the foundation on which success is built and goals are nurtured. Aristotle may or may not have been a runner but the statement, ‘We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit’ reinforces the simplicity that our ancestors lived by, and running can return to those seeking it.
For more information about the club, please visit the website buryac.co.uk or email info@buryac.co.uk