About Us

What is the Association of Running Clubs?

ARC is a not for profit company. It is registered at Companies House (Company No 6040264). It is a company limited by guarantee and is entirely owned by its members.

Who May Affiliate with ARC?

ARC is an affiliating body for clubs and associations whose principal activity is road and/or cross country and/or fell and/or trail running and/or walking (i.e. all the non stadia disciplines). Clubs whose principal activity is track and field athletics can affiliate to ARC if they cater for road running activities.

Join ARC


Benefits Provided to ARC Members

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Comprehensive Insurance

ARC have a comprehensive civil liability policy with sports insurance specialist brokers Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd. The cover is similar to that provided to the other 280 sports governing bodies for which Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd act as brokers. (See summary of insurance cover)

The policy covers races organised by affiliated clubs and affiliated organisations. These races require a permit which will be issued by ARC following receipt of a satisfactory ??

5-star Support

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Consulting

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Does ARC charge unattached levies on races organised by ARC members?

ARC supports the continuation of an unattached levy – clubs stage the majority of road races in this country and ARC believes it is right that non club runners should contribute to the club structure that underpins this activity. ARC acts in the interests of clubs and therefore requires its permitted races to charge a £2 Unattached levy on all race entrants who are not members of either ARC or UK Athletics affiliated clubs. Under its flat rate permit fees, ARC does not receive any portion of the unattached levies. The full amount benefits the club/organisation which stages the race.



Are members of ARC affiliated clubs required to pay unattached levies in races organised under UK Athletics permits?

UK Athletics, in its Permit arrangements, has dispensed with the concept of the Unattached Runner levy and has replaced it with a discounted entry fee for UKA Registered Runners thus penalising many club runners. To receive the discounted race entry fee, a runner has to be registered with UKA – so being a member of a UKA affiliated club does not get you the discount. Members of ARC affiliated clubs are in the same situation.

Conversely the lower entry fee in ARC permitted races is available to all members of affiliated clubs (ARC or UKA).

These contrasting arrangements reflect the importance that ARC attaches to clubs and the Club structure in the sport.

Permit applications

Permit applications are via the ARC App - system.runningclubs.org.uk

As part of this process Race Organisers must confirm that their race will comply with certain standards.

ARC will also provide advice and assistance to its members and undertake other tasks as required by its membership.

How to Get a Race Permit

What about young people and vulnerable adults?

The very wide insurance cover negotiated by ARC includes cover for clubs, their managers and governors against legal liability claims following alleged abuse of young people and vulnerable adults. However this cover will not protect any club or person who has failed to comply with the provisions of the ARC Protection Policy for Young and Vulnerable People. This policy is displayed on the ARC website under Welfare.

Transgender Athletes

ARC Rules state that Athletes who have gone through male puberty should be excluded from the female category. This is in line with World Athletics Rules. Race organisers can if they wish have a separate category in their races for Transgender Athletes.

The Committee

The current Committee of the Association are Rod Baron, Brian Cruickshank, Richard Dajda, Selina Da Silva and Michael White. All officers and 80% of committee members are appointed by the members of ARC at the AGM.

Chairman

Richard Dajda

Richard has been involved in club administration for Royston Runners for over fifteen years and is a race director with experience of road, cross-country and trail race management. As a “bad for age” runner he runs for fitness rather than glory and by being on the committee he hopes that he can contribute towards ARC members staging safe and enjoyable races.

Secretary

Michael White

Richard has been involved in club administration for Royston Runners for over fifteen years and is a race director with experience of road, cross-country and trail race management. As a “bad for age” runner he runs for fitness rather than glory and by being on the committee he hopes that he can contribute towards ARC members staging safe and enjoyable races.

Treasurer

Selina Da Silva

Selina has been a keen marathon and ultra runner since 1995 (having now completed more than 200 marathons) and a committee member of the 100 Marathon Club. She was Women's Running Network organiser for 3 years, coaching 80 runners. Currently employed as an accountant for a manufacturing company.

Webmaster

Rod Baron

Rod has been active in road running in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for a number of years, having maintained websites and produced results systems for several local running clubs and event organisations. He spent many years as the Technical Manager for the Round Norfolk Relay, concentrating on the technical aspects of the race such as online data, results and communications. Rod is a qualified Course Measurer.

Brian Cruickshank

Brian has been running for almost 30 years and still enjoys running competitively in the over 50's age group. He has been organising races, mostly off-road for 20 years and is presently a Coach and Vice President of our club Falkland Trail Runners.

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.

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.

Key ARC Documents

Declared Aims and Key Policies
Articles of Association
Memorandum of Association