TempoFit success leads to winter group running season

10 May 2016

For immediate release

After a successful first season with more than 60 runners from all over Wellington, a second season of TempoFit will start on May 16, leading up to the Wellington marathon, half-marathon, 10km and 5km event on 24 June.

The programme, to assist runners of all abilities develop their running further, was founded in Auckland three years ago by Hayden Shearman, author of Runners Guide to Wellington.

But TempoFit is not restricted to top runners. If you can run 5km without stopping, the programme is for you. Programmes are to be held at Nairnville Park in Khandallah, Tawa, Lower Hutt and Wellington City.

TempoFit is designed for your everyday jogger, plodder and weekend warrior. It is a group-based running community to help a wide variety of runners to take their running to the next level. Some programmes start at 6.00am or 6:30am, others are done during lunch times, with longer weekend runs.

Coaches include distance runner Grant McLean, Hutt Valley Marathon Clinic president Mark Potter, and Wellington Harriers Athletics Club junior coach Julie Richards. There are three workouts each week in the six-week programme: TLC – technique and conditioning workout, ACCELERATE – a speed workout, and a long social and scenic distance run, called LSD.

McLean is assisting with a lunchtime CBD group, where he is focusing on the ‘Accelerate Workout’. He sees TempoFit as a great partnership between Athletics Wellington, Athletics NZ, TempoFit and local clubs. The use of club-based runners allows TempoFitters to tap into a wealth of experience.

“Let’s get the out of the office in the fresh air and enjoy the many benefits of running – social, physical, mental - and you’ll be more productive at work,” McLean said.

The programme with its technique and drills and lactate threshold-based running will assist people to run faster for longer, McLean says, but won’t be too exhausting.

“We want people to stretch themselves, enjoy it and come back for more.”

Another coach, Wellington Indoor Sports General Manager Andrew Matsuoka-Webber, is doing the 6.30am starts at Nairnville Park.

We’re teaching them to run with better mechanics – how to run further and faster,” he says.

None in his group are members of an athletics club – but they all want to improve their running, learn running drills, and have fun doing it.

TempoFit’s 'Winter Season Block' runs for six weeks from 16 May.

ENDS

© Scoop Media