Dark Peak Juniors provides fell running and racing activities for children from ages 6 to 18. It is open to new members from South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire. The emphasis in the club is to provide fun running adventures in the Dark Peak and the on the margins of Sheffield. We seek to provide our members with the tools that will enable them to go on to have fulfilling hill running adventures for life. The emphasis is on fitness, technical running skills, good judgement, navigation and hill craft.
Social media
As well as the members only Facebook and WhatsApp groups, you can now find us on:
Instagram as Darkpeak_juniors and on
Twitter @DpfrJ
About the Running
The running is distinctly cross country but without the mown grass. There will be some paths. There will also be some vegetation & mud; plenty of mud (conditions permitting). There is frequently steep and technical terrain – but always with options that match skill levels. Trail shoes or full studded fell shoes are the best options. On a dry day in summer its possible to get away with some ordinary trainers. If you need to borrow shoes let us know and we’ll see what we can do. A water proof top is a must. Gloves and a hat are always good and will be an absolute necessity as the autumn draws in.
The format of the sessions varies, depending on the coach and the specific group. But as an example:
U11 (6-11) – this age group can’t, doesn’t and shouldn’t run for an hour. Races for this group would range between 10 and 15 minutes. So the running will typically be:
- A warm up;
- Travel/run out to a location – using some games and drills to control the pace;
- Games – Tig, hid n seek (good for enforced rest, without insurrection);
- A bit more travel & drills (through and off / follow my leader);
- Any unspent energy can be used up with relays & intervals.
- Return to start & warm down.
O11s (11-17) – This group will typically travel some distance in their run. There will be some drills and interval to balance up the relative speeds & energy levels. Games are also good too. There is a great deal to be said for getting this age group to have some unbridled fun!
The focus of both groups is getting out on to the moors, learning skills on terrain and establishing a life long capability for the enjoyment of the hills.
Getting wet feet and having fun are what its about. Dark Peak do not run an elite athlete coaching programme; there’s time later in life for that sort of suffering!
To find out more get in touch with “Juniors” via the Contacts page.
Details are in the calendar.
Run Leaders
We encourage anyone who would like to take a more formal approach to leadership, to look at (or discuss) the possibility taking the the FRA
LiFR and/or CiFR qualifications as a high quality entry into the coaching world. The club has an annual budget to support aspirant leaders through this training.
Kit
Runners must have enough clothing to stay warm on the runs. Covid requirements for kit are more stringent as carry kit of others and sharing kit is not possible. Kit MUST include: waterproof top, hat, gloves, a long sleeved top and a running bag to carry them in. A pair of waterproof trousers is also strongly recommended. For runs in the depths of winter, considerably more kit should be worn & carried.
Membership
Membership is open to runners from the age of 6, for the many and varied fell running related activities that the membership arranges, and of course the honour of wearing the coveted brown vest in local and national events.
Where possible, please pay your subscription by Bank Transfer or standing order.
or download a printable form
2023 Membership forms are below.
Forms for new and returning members:
2022-01-09–Junior-Membership-Form-2022-V1.0.docx
2022-01-09–Junior-Membership-Form-2022-V1.0.pdf
For membership renewals, See Mark at your first run in 2023
Other Documents
DPFR Juniors Photography Policy
Development of the Junior Section
On 18th October 2020, a round table discussion was held to talk about the Juniors return to running (following COVID 19) and more generally about the operations and purpose of the Junior Section. An outline of the discussions can be found in the attached paper – no formal minutes were taken, so this is Lewis Ashton’s (Junior Officer at the time) perspective on the meeting.