Latest news

Hello

As we are coming up to the festive season we have a few dates for your diary.

On Saturday 25^th November our C25 group will be graduating by running their first official 5k at Park Run. As usual there won’t be any normal runs on that day as we encourage everyone to also take part in Park Run.

Walkers are also very welcome to join as park ‘run’ isn’t just for runners.

Please wear your blue SE tops if you have one so we can take a group photo for the website.

This will be a great chance for you to run/walk the new route from Boldmere gate, and there will be a mince pie available for everyone at the end of the run 😊

On Monday 27^th November we have a full moon – The Beaver Moon. Therefore our Monday evening runs and walk will take place in the park. Please ensure you wear hi-viz and preferably have a body torch.

Friday 1^st December is our Christmas party. Unfortunately, it is full however please let me know if you wish to be added to the reserve list in case anyone cancels.

To give our Leaders a bit of a lie in after the party, all runs and walks on Saturday 2^nd December will start at 9.30am, not 8.30am.

Our last Speedwork session of the year will be taking place on Thursday 7^th December before we break for Christmas, and will restart again Thursday 11^th January.

On Monday 11^th December we will be making our annual run / walk to The Station pub for a Christmas drink. We will meet at normal time and will end the run / walk at the pub (via Wyndley for those that don’t want to join us at The Station)

On Tuesday 26^th December we will be holding a charity, Boxing day run at 9.30am:

5k+ with Julie & Lesley

Run Fit with Nick & Vanessa

Run Plus with Andre, Jess, Louise

It will be £3 to take part which can be paid by bank transfer (please mark as ‘charity’ or when you meet for the run.

There will be no sessions on Monday 25^th December or Monday 1^st January.

And finally, we have a limited number of hi-viz, lightweight, wind and shower proof jackets available. These jackets have a slight mark of the back of the neck of the jacket and therefore they have been reduced to £12.50 to clear.

These can be ordered online by visiting www.sportology.com or by clicking here.

Hope to see many of you at either all or most of the events 😉

Jo

Hello,

September sees the start of our Autumn programme which means road runs, Half Marathons, Moon runs and, of course, the festive season.

Firstly, we have had lots of new members in the last few weeks so a huge welcome to our new walkers; Rowenna, Stephen, Donna, Joanne, Maria, Stewart, Debbie, Belinda, Ricky, Sarah and David.

And to our runners; Clare, Lisa, Bobby, Nikita, Daniel, Anni, Rachel & Neil

This month also saw the start of our autumn Coach to 5K course. Sessions are taking place Mondays 6.30pm, Wednesdays 6.15pm and Saturdays 8.30am and we welcome all of our new runners.

Safety

As we are now starting to see darker nights, our evening activities will be moving outside of the park. If you are an evening runner or walker can you please ensure that you wear hi-viz clothing or a light so that you can easily be seen. We have tabards or reflective tops available at Sportology if you need them (please see below for more information and discount)

For our daytime members remember to stay alert and look where you are going. Be aware of conditions underfoot such as mud, ice and trip hazards e.g. tree roots, rabbit holes etc. Sutton Park is a natural environment and conditions change daily. Please remember to wear suitable footwear and clothing.

Please familiarise yourselves with our safety guidelines which can be found on the website: Guide to Walking and Running Safely | SE Fitness

Events

Peak District Hike

On 2^nd September 53 of our runners and walkers spent the day hiking in the Peak District , taking in Mam Tor, Back Tor and Lose Hill and enjoyed a well earned drink afterwards.

It was a great day and we are planning more for 2024. Please keep an eye out for future dates as they fill pretty quickly.

Paddleboarding

Our members are always up for something different so we tried our hand at Paddleboarding at Aldridge SUP. Again, we were really lucky with the weather although a few did get a little wet! If you have any suggestions of other activities that you would like to take part in let me know.

Christmas Party

Unfortunately our Christmas party on 1^st December is full however if you wish to be added to the reserve list in case of any cancellations please let me know.

Discounts for SE Members

Sutton Runner will be offering a 20% discount week commencing 25^th September. Pay day week and perfect timing to pick up your winter gear.

Sportology will also be offering discounts on SE Kit from 2^nd October for two weeks ready for your winter wardrobe. The yellow tops are ideal for the winter as can be seen more easily or you can order other colours and choose a reflective font instead of the usual white.

We also have a limited number of hi-viz shower and wind resistant lightweight jackets for £20 which are ideal for the darker evenings, or cooler days. You can choose black or reflective font and they can be ordered on the following link:

SE Fitness Lightweight Jacket – Sportologyonline

During the discount fortnight: long sleeved T-shirts available in yellow, orange or blue £10.50, Hoodies available in black £21.50

Short sleeved T-shirts are £10 available in blue (for events), pink, orange or black.

Please contact Sportology on 0121 355 6378, email sportology@gmail.com or pop in to 144 Boldmere Road, B73 5UD to order, or order online at SE Fitness – Sportologyonline

We also have other discounts available to support your wellbeing:

Sutton Park Pilates offer private and duet pilates sessions, as well as sports massage, and they are offering us 10% discount on all sessions. You can contact Lucinda at info@suttonparkpilates.com

And Tiger Mama Yoga have a private studio in Walmley, B76 and offer a range of yoga and other holistic events including;

• Vinyasa Flow style yoga for all people, all abilities
• Pregnancy & post-natal yoga
• Baby massage
• Baby yoga

Laura can be contacted at laura@tigermamayoga.com

Artforlife offer art classes and workshops at Four Oaks Methodist Church. Suki is a fellow SE member and is offering a discount on workshops or classes.

For more information visit https://www.suttoncoldfield.artforlife.uk or contact Suki at 07875 666614 or artforlifesc@gmail.com

Finally, we have lots of members taking part in many events over the next few weeks. Please add any photos that you are happy to share to your group Whatsapp groups so we can give you a shout out.

Have a great weekend!

Jo

Hello

Apologies for lack of a newsletter last week, it’s been a bit busy since my return from hols.

Firstly, a huge welcome to our new members;

Somaya, Becky, Heather, Carolynn, Jayne, Tracy, Julie and Lisa who have all joined our walking groups. And Emma, Lisa and Sara who have joined our runners.

It’s always nice to see new members and lovely to hear you have received a warm welcome.

Paddleboarding

Those that have booked on the Paddleboarding sessions will receive further details over the next couple of days.

If anyone would like to be a last minute addition, we have a couple of places left on the Sunday 20^th August session. Family members are welcome to join in too.

Charity event

We have a provisional date of 14^th October for our charity event. You can choose to do 5 or 10K, and either walk or run.

This will be open to all of our walkers and runners. Family and friends are also welcome to join us. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us and give us a chance to enjoy some refreshments and a chat after the event.

For our runners this will be a timed event to set a personal benchmark for future timed runs that we have planned.

Marathon Training

Our usual summer marathon training starts this weekend with a 6 mile run and continues for the next 6 weeks ready for the many autumn half marathons we have coming up.

Facebook

As well as our usual SE Facebook page we now have dedicated Facebook pages for both of our runners and walkers.

This will make it easier for people searching for groups in the area to find us as the SE Fitness Facebook page doesn’t appear in searches.

Both of these groups are public groups which means you can share your photos, Strava stats, social events or anything else walking / running related. These are your groups so please feel free to use them.

To join the walking group click https://m.facebook.com/groups/958878545227692/?ref=share or search walking groups in Sutton park

To join the running group click https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696197770854488/or search running in Sutton Park & Sutton Coldfield

Speedwork

There will be a slight change to Speedwork training for the next 4 weeks.

Ahmad will be running the sessions and training will be taking place at 8.15pm rather than the usual time of 8pm.

We will be focusing on agility and power and this week we will be covering 800m circuits.

Please note these sessions are not included in the usual SE membership.

And finally, it’s party time!

Our Christmas party is booked for Friday 1^st December at Sutton Golf Club, Thornhill Road, Streetly, 7pm to midnight.

Tickets are priced at £26 per person to include a hot meal. Payment can be made to the usual SE account, please put your name in the reference when making a payment. If you have any allergies or special requirements, please email me at jo@sefitness.com

Tickets are strictly limited so first come first served.

Evening,

As we are now in the holiday season, we are taking part in #PassTheBaton

It’s just a bit of fun where we virtually pass the baton to someone who is walking or running somewhere other than the West Midlands to see how far we can get it around the world.

At the moment it is with two of our runners, Amanda and Sally who were in Turkey.

To take part send me a photo of you on Whatsapp or Facebook with where you are and at the end I’ll do a collage of everyone and how far we travelled.

It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, UK or abroad, lets see how many miles that we can cover!

Mam Tor

If you are one of the 53 people that we have booked on the Mam Tor trip on 2^nd September, the balance of £19.40 is due by Saturday 15^th July please.

If you can no longer go please let me know as I do have a waiting list so you won’t lose your deposit.

Special Offer on SE Tops

You only have a few days left to grab a SE top at a discounted price.

Available until Sat 15^th July, Sportology in Boldmere are offering T-shirts for £10 and vests for £11. They are TriDri, new soft feel fabric.

We have two events coming up:

Saturday 12^th August we have a 5K and 10K event in Sutton park. This is open to both runners and walkers, and will be a timed charity event. Further details to follow.

On Sunday 20^th August we have our second Paddle boarding day. We only have 4 paces left at a cost of £20 per person, to include a lesson if needed, and all equipment.

And finally, it’s competition time!

I have posted some great photos of our members recently, and thought it would be great to see some of your photos of what you get up to during an SE walk or run.

So send me your pics whether they are funny, creative or just capturing the spirit of SE, (please make sure you gain permission to take and share the photos) and the winner will receive a bottle of wine.

Here’s some from our 5K+, Run Fit and Speedwork groups

Hello

I hope you are enjoying the continued good weather, although it’s been a little warm for some of our runs. It’s been a busy couple of weeks and there’s still more to come!

Firstly, a warm welcome to our new members;

Nanaki, Jessica, Simon, Gemma, Helen, Andy and Emily who have all joined one of our running groups, and Helen, Rosemary and Yasmin who join our walkers.

It’s always nice to see new people join us and it’s great to hear you’ve received a warm welcome.

Couch to 5K Graduation

Yesterday saw our Couch to 5K group graduate at Sutton Park park run.

They felt a real sense of achievement at not only completing their 5K run, but also taking part in their first official event with other runners.

Despite having our Summer Social the night before (which was a late one for lots of us) they were also supported by many of our members who also joined them.

This is a fantastic achievement for the graduates and they are all looking forward to joining our 5K plus groups this week.

Garry Cheary, Event Director at Park Run, said that for only the second time ever there were more ladies at Park run than men. The last time that happened was 2018 when coincidentally SE were also in attendance that day!

Our next course will start 4^th September.

Summer Social

Friday night was our Summer Social where 74 members joined us at The Brewhouse & Kitchen.

It was a lovely evening and was evident to see how many friendships have been made through SE Fitness.

If anyone has any ideas for another social event please let me know.

It just shows that our members love the social events activities as much as the running and walking as our Paddleboarding day and Mam Tor hike are also full!

Mam Tor

We have now filled a 53 seater coach, therefore the Mountain Coach who will be guiding us for the day has drafted in a team of his people to lead us through Cave Dale, Mam Tor, Hollins Cross and Back Tor.

I will be sending out a full itinerary this week to everyone that has booked.

Please note that the balance of £19.40 is due no later than 15^th July; please put Mam Tor balance in the reference on the bank transfer.

Paddleboarding

Saturday 19^th August is now full.

However, we now have a second date on Sunday 20^th August at 3pm. There are a maximum of 15 places available so please drop me an email if wish to join us.

There will be various types of boards to try ranging from challenging ones for the more confident, to 4 and 12 person boards for those that just want to have some fun.

We have a discounted rate of £20 that will include all equipment and experienced instructors.

And more to come….

• Saturday 12^th August we will be holding a 5 and 10K time challenge
• Exciting partnership with British Triathlon offering free training for anyone who wishes to train as a Ride leader and free bike hire for anyone who wishes to join our cycling groups
• Discount fortnight for any SE items purchased from Sportology
• Excusive discounts at retailers and local services

Hello,

I hope you have all been enjoying the lovely weather. Hopefully it will continue as we have lots of exciting things coming up in the next few weeks.

Summer Social

Firstly, we have our Summer Social taking place at 7.30pm, at the Brewhouse & Kitchen on Friday 23^rd June. The garden area should be the perfect location to enjoy food, music and good company.

As there are over 70 of our runners, walkers and leaders attending what could be a late night, all of our runs will take a little later than usual the following day. We will be meeting at 9.00am instead of 8.30am on Saturday 24^th June

Charity Buggy Walk

On Wednesday 28^th June we have our charity buggy walk to raise money for Acacia family support. We will be meeting at 10.15 and will be embarking on a walk around the park, lasting around an hour.

Wyndley have kindly allowed us to use the grassy area in the middle of the running track afterwards so will be safe for little ones to run around, while the adults can enjoy coffee and cake.

All are welcome so please tell your friends and family.

Speedwork

Our summer speedwork programme has started which means we will alternate track sessions with training in the park.

The sessions take place on a Thursday night at 8pm, and are suitable for all abilities so if you are looking to improve your speed and endurance come and join us.

Couch to 5K Graduation

Our latest Couch to 5K course is coming to an end and as usual we will be celebrating their success by joining Sutton Park Park run on Saturday 1^st July.

Our normal Saturday morning runs will not be taking place as we encourage our members to support the C25K group by attending Park Run too.

It would be great to see as many of you there as possible

Sutton Runners 40^th Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday 4^th July Sutton Runner in Boldmere celebrate their 40^th year in business. To mark the occasion they have organised a 5K run sponsored by Hoka One One. The run will start at 6.30pm from the shop.

Hoka will be providing trainers for you to run in, along with a free raffle for Hoka goodies and pizza afterwards.

You must register to take part by using the link below

https://eu-events.hoka.com/suttonrunner40thanniversary

Shoes are provided on a first come first served basis.

Dates for your diary….

Wednesday 14^th June

The ballot opens for the London Landmarks half marathon.

Saturday 5^th August

Our walking groups are attending a private tour of Hellens Manor in Herefordshire.

Saturday 12^th August

SE’s charity 5K & 10K challenge. Details closer to the time.

Saturday 19^th / Sunday 20^th August

A chance to try Paddle boarding!

Saturday 2^nd September

Hike to Mam Tor, Peak District. £38.40 to include coach travel from Wyndley. Just 4 places left.

Friday 1^st December

Christmas Party! Tickets available in September

Saturday 27^th April

Hike up Snowdon. Available to book in the new year

October 2024

Palma half Marathon. Available to book in the new year with various options of flights around 11^th October