Contacts

   

                  General Enquiries                                   info@runningclubs.org.uk

     
     

                  Chairman                 Dick Meredith        chairman@runningclubs.org.uk

Dick has been Chairman of Garden City Runners in Hertfordshire for 20 years and was Race Director of the Garden City 10 for ten years. He is a past Chairman of the British Association of Road Races (BARR) and currently Vice President. Also on the Board of ABAC as Road Running Secretary. Level 5 official.

         
           Deputy Chairman         Gordon Robbins

Gordon is chairman of Bitton Road Runners, a club of over 200 members with a junior T & F section of 80 members, a position held for 11 years. Being an active runner and the race director of The Easy Runner Sodbury Slog (voted the 2nd best race in the UK by Runners World readers) ensures he is fully aware of runners needs. As permit and road running secretary for Avon Athletic Association, Gordon has an in depth knowledge of race organisation and standards. He was an elected member of South West Regional Council until his resignation in January which was due to total frustration at the council's inability to influence the direction or decisions taken by England Athletics. 

                 

                Secretary                  Michael White        secretary@runningclubs.org.uk
Michael, after military service with the Parachute Regiment, spent the remainder of his working life in the insurance business, latterly running his own insurance underwriting company at Lloyds of London. A keen runner, he joined the Dorking and Mole Valley club in 1976, serving them for 7 years as their secretary. He resigned as the club secretary in 2005 due to the club's support for the Foster Proposals. He became the Secretary of ABAC and now belongs to Cranleigh Tortoise and Hare Runners. He has run 30 marathons including 10 London Marathons and the South Downs 80.
 

                 Webmaster               Rod Baron            webmaster@runningclubs.org.uk

Rod has been active in road running in Cambs. and Norfolk for a number of years. He is responsible for web sites, entries and results for the Grunty Fen Half Marathon, New Year's Eve 10k, Turing Trail Relay and Round Norfolk Relay. Also Webmaster and Membership Secretary for Ely Runners.

Other members of the steering committee
 

 

 

 Ian Champion
 

 
  Selina Da Silva
Selina has been a keen marathon and ultra runner since 1995, committee member of the 100 Marathon Club and editor of the Road Runner's Club and Trail Running Association Endurance Directory. She was Women's Running Network organiser for 3 years, coaching 80 runners. Currently employed as an accountant for a manufacturing company.

 

John Turner
John, a competitive runner for 50 years, is Secretary of Ely Runners, a position he has held for over 20 years. He has Race directed the Grunty Fen Half Marathon for 10 years, the Ely New Year's Eve 10k Road Race for 7 years, and will be Race Director for the newly established Turing Trail Relay. Also i/c Training, Club Events, Corporate Sponsorship, and Press liaison for Ely Runners.

Anthony Osborne
An accountant by profession, Tony has been a runner for over 50 years and a coach for 40 years, now level 4 - endurance official level 2. He was formerly club officer in several capacities including chairman and was County Road Race Secretary for 12 years and former member of the SEAA RR committee. Currently treasurer for the EAA, he has organised the Stevenage 10 miles RR for 13 years and is now organiser of the Stevenage Half  Marathon. 

Steve Crane

Steve has been a member of Bedford Harriers AC since 1999 and race director of the Bedford Half Marathon for 6 years. He is currently Bedford Harriers Race Management Secretary & committee member and is a Road Race Referee & Course measurer. Occupation - Company director. 
 

 Championships Secretary    Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle

Ian has been involved in running in all its forms for around 30 years. Until injury forced his retirement from competitive running in 1994, he was a talented runner who competed successfully in two World Veteran T&F Championships. After a career in the army, he moved to Norfolk where he was co-founder of Ryston Runners. He is currently a member of Ely Runners and  EVAC having also belonged to Sefton Harriers and Belgrave Harriers when he worked in Liverpool and London respectively. He created and is the current race director of the prestigious Round Norfolk Relay and also directed the first two Great East Anglia 10k races in King's Lynn. He recently moved to Oxfordshire. 

Ron McAndrew

Ron began his athletics career in 1962. He represented Wales & Great Britain, road, T & F & cross country between 1968-1984 with 36 International appearances and is a former world record holder of the Indoor 2000 metres steeplechase. During most of his International career he was a member of Reading AC and is currently a member of Lytham St Annes Road Runners & Fylde Runners. Ron has held the following offices :-Lancashire & North of England committee member, Lancashire chairman & permit officer, North of England road running secretary, Lancashire and North of England & England cross country team manager.
 
The above named are all members of road running clubs. They are acting individually in response to what they see as the imposition of undemocratic, costly and bureaucratic solutions on the sport. They believe that road running (and related activities – cross country, fell and trail) should have separate governance and no longer be a cash generating adjunct to the sport of athletics. They have set up the Association of Running Clubs so these activities can have an option which the appointed bodies have not seen fit to give them.
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Most importantly, and in stark contrast to other structures which have been set up post Foster, none of these people has any vested interest in, nor earns any money from the sport