TeenyBR is our 6-week beginner course for children aged 5–11 who are interested in running and want to learn more about it. It takes place during the summer holidays each year and is designed for children with little to no experience in running or athletics.
We’re not expecting the children to be running 5Ks by the end of the course, but they will leave with an understanding of the fundamental skills that underpin running. Our aim is to make the sessions fun and engaging, while still introducing important running skills and concepts.
There are many aspects of running beyond simply putting one foot in front of the other, such as coaching, marshalling, competition, and supporting fellow runners. During the course, we aim to give children a taste of all these different roles and experiences. After all, if running itself isn’t their favourite part, they might be inspired to explore a future in coaching or supporting the sport.
While competition in running can be fierce, the support between runners is just as strong, and it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of the running community. This positive and supportive mindset is something we actively encourage and reinforce throughout the course.
All of our coaches are fully DBS checked and trained through England Athletics, bringing many years of experience and knowledge between them. The physical side of the course focuses on teaching children their fundamental movement skills and patterns, along with a simple explanation of why these are important. These skills help develop good running technique, while also supporting overall movement and physical development that will benefit them later in life.
We will test them at the beginning and end of the course to see if anything we have taught has helped them and it will give them a reason to practice whilst they’re not with us! At the end of the course they will receive a special t-shirt and medal for completion!
If your child is already quite serious about running, for example if they regularly take part in junior parkrun (or event the adult parkrun), they may find this course a little basic. In that case, they might benefit more from joining TeamBR as a junior member.
