Q: Can I try a session before joining?

Yes! You may check out one or two sessions before joining officially. After that, you may register via RunSignUp.

Q: Where and when do you meet?

Generally we meet at Edwards Stadium track at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays. Enter the track from Frank Schlessinger Way, through the gates to the left of the tennis courts. Head down to the track, and we will meet either on the inside of the track near the steeplechase water pit or by the Runner's Statue right when you enter the venue. Occasionally in the summer, we workout elsewhere, like Tilden Park. Please message us or check our Strava events to see where we're meeting. Workouts start at 6pm, so we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to warm up. You may find us warming up running clockwise in the outer lanes. Jump in and say hi!

Q: Is there a long run this weekend?

We usually plan our weekend long runs the week-of and communicate details in our Slack group for members. Occasionally we'll plan one further in advance and post to our Strava (https://www.strava.com/clubs/114759)page, so check there or contact us directly if you'd like to try a long run session before joining officially. We don't always have one planned every weekend, especially if there is a key race happening. Also note that unlike many other clubs, we usually do our long runs on Saturdays, since we have our weekly interval session on Mondays.

Q: Do you do sprints or field events?

While distance events are our main focus and make up most of our runners, we do have a small sprints group that meets throughout the year, particularly in the spring when there are track meets. Unfortunately, we do not have the venue or coaching to support field events.

Q: I have a busy schedule and may not be able to come to all the practices, is that OK?

Absolutely. We'll be here whenever you are ready or able to come out; there are absolutely no obligations.

Q: I'm a student at Cal and want to walk on to the varsity team someday. Can you help?

Welcome to Berkeley! We are happy to help you work towards your goals. We've had several people walk on to the Cal cross country or track teams after running with us for a year or two. We hope you decide to join us to continue running at a competitive level.

Q: My youth son or daughter is getting into running, can you help with training?

Unfortunately not. We are a community running club and do not work with youth athletes. We are SafeSport certified with USATF, but as club policy, athletes must be 18+.

Q: Can I park at practice?

Yes, although it may be hard to find a spot. There is city street parking along Oxford Street which is metered until 6pm. There is also metered parking on Frank Schlessinger Way, which is ticketed aggressively.

Q: Is there somewhere I can leave my stuff during practice?

While the track is generally safe to leave warmup clothes or a change of shoes, we do not recommend bringing any valuables, as there is no designated place to store your belongings, and they will be left unattended during the session.

Question 1

Is the pace of the SCTC group right for me?

Accepted Answer

We welcome runners of all abilities! However, we cater more towards competitive runners, and workouts are structured in such a way that may be challenging for beginner runners. To get the most out of our sessions, we recommend runners are currently running at least 30 miles a week and able to run <25 minutes for 5k for women and <20 minutes for men, or equivalent. (Our fastest runners run sub-17 minutes for women and sub-15 minutes for men). It's OK if you can't run those paces, we just want to manage expectations as you work towards your goals!

We have a wide range of paces - as well as groups training for different distances - so if you are unsure, we encourage you to check out a practice to see if our group works for you.

Question 2

Can I try a session before joining?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You may check out one or two sessions before joining officially. After that, you may register via RunSignUp.

Question 3

Where and when do you meet?

Accepted Answer

Generally we meet at Edwards Stadium track at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays. Enter the track from Frank Schlessinger Way, through the gates to the left of the tennis courts. Head down to the track, and we will meet either on the inside of the track near the steeplechase water pit or by the Runner's Statue right when you enter the venue.

Occasionally in the summer, we workout elsewhere, like Tilden Park. Please message us or check our Strava events to see where we're meeting.

Workouts start at 6pm, so we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to warm up. You may find us warming up running clockwise in the outer lanes. Jump in and say hi!

Question 4

Is there a long run this weekend?

Accepted Answer

We usually plan our weekend long runs the week-of and communicate details in our Slack group for members. Occasionally we'll plan one further in advance and post to our Strava (https://www.strava.com/clubs/114759)page, so check there or contact us directly if you'd like to try a long run session before joining officially. We don't always have one planned every weekend, especially if there is a key race happening.

Also note that unlike many other clubs, we usually do our long runs on Saturdays, since we have our weekly interval session on Mondays.

Question 5

Do you do sprints or field events?

Accepted Answer

While distance events are our main focus and make up most of our runners, we do have a small sprints group that meets throughout the year, particularly in the spring when there are track meets. Unfortunately, we do not have the venue or coaching to support field events.

Question 6

I have a busy schedule and may not be able to come to all the practices, is that OK?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We'll be here whenever you are ready or able to come out; there are absolutely no obligations.

Question 7

I'm a student at Cal and want to walk on to the varsity team someday. Can you help?

Accepted Answer

Welcome to Berkeley! We are happy to help you work towards your goals. We've had several people walk on to the Cal cross country or track teams after running with us for a  year or two. We hope you decide to join us to continue running at a competitive level.

Question 8

My youth son or daughter is getting into running, can you help with training?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately not. We are a community running club and do not work with youth athletes. We are SafeSport certified with USATF, but as club policy, athletes must be 18+.

Question 9

Can I park at practice?

Accepted Answer

Yes, although it may be hard to find a spot. There is city street parking along Oxford Street which is metered until 6pm. There is also metered parking on Frank Schlessinger Way, which is ticketed aggressively.

Question 10

Is there somewhere I can leave my stuff during practice?

Accepted Answer

While the track is generally safe to leave warmup clothes or a change of shoes, we do not recommend bringing any valuables, as there is no designated place to store your belongings, and they will be left unattended during the session.

Question 11

I'm training for a marathon and looking for training partners, can SCTC help?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! While we primarily run cross country in the fall and track in the spring, we often have a handful of runners doing any one of the Majors (namely Boston or Chicago) as well as California International. You may be able to find someone doing the same one as you (maybe even at the same pace!). If not, Coach Carl can help tweak the general training program for your race, and you can still train with us to share some of your many miles.

Question 12

I'm training for a trail race or ultra, do you meet for trail runs?

Accepted Answer

While we occasionally meet for some easy runs up the Fire Trail or a Saturday long run on a local trail, we do not usually train for trails or ultra races. You're still welcome to join us for our track and road sessions when it works for your program!

Frequently Asked Questions