Thursday Night Track Training

When: 18:00-19:30 and 19:00-20:30
Venue: SHU Athletics Stadium, Woodbourn Road, Sheffield, S9 3LQ
Main Contacts: Peter Brown and Malcolm Baggaley

To quote Pete Pfitzinger, “For races 5k through to the half marathon, honing your basic speed is an important but often overlooked aspect of race preparation”. Put simply, if you want to race fast, then you have to train fast. PB’s are not quite guaranteed, but if you’ve never done this sort of work before and continue the sessions alongside your other training, then you may be surprised by the results.

There are two track groups available on Thursday evening.

18:00: Appropriate for those running 16m-21m for 5k and 33m-43m for 10k, this group is looked after by Level Three Performance Coach Mike Theobald (Hallamshire Harriers) and Level Two Performance Coach Peter Brown. Please note that these are not fixed parameters for joining the group, but give an idea so that any newcomer would be able to cope with the pace. Every Thursday for over thirty years, these sessions have always been open to athletes regardless of which club they compete for. With prior agreement from the coach, some athletes do amended sessions to suit their racing/training programme. If the track is closed, e.g. due to a school’s match or weather conditions, this group will usually meet at the Canon Medical Arena on Worksop Road at 18:10 with separate arrangements during the Christmas break.

19:00: Coach in Running Fitness Malcom Baggaley qualified in 2024 and brimming with new ideas, got straight to work organising this group, which is suited for all paces and experience.

Please see the Thursday Evening Track Schedule for details of the sort of work that we do, but note that sessions are subject to change at short notice according to circumstances. For those new to track or want to know more, please read the Track Introduction Running Guide. Please don’t wear spikes indoors as this damages the floor.

Whilst the coaching is free, the track sadly is not, with a £5.00 fee payable to Sheffield Hallam University. Pay contactless at reception. In addition you have to have to scan in with the facility managers. Register via the Leisure United website choosing Football as your sport option as there isn’t an athletics option at present. Ongoing it’s probably easiest to download the Leisure United app onto your