Frontrunners Spring 2027 Marathon, Half Marathon, Return to Run/Maintenance, Learn to Run & Walk to

Welcome to our training programs! We love to run together; building community and having fun while training is our goal. This spring we have the Marathon, Half Marathon, and Return-to-Run/Maintenance program meeting twice per week (described first, below), and the Learn to Run 5k and 10k program meeting once per week (described second, below).

MARATHON, HALF MARATHON AND RETURN-TO-RUN/MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

The Marathon, Half Marathon (Half) and Return-to-Run/Maintenance (RTR/M) training programs will begin on Wednesday January 6, 2027 and build towards Marathon, Half Marathon, TC10K, and Oak Bay spring 2027 goal races. We will also provide custom schedules where requested. We work hard to support our runners through our volunteer run leaders, weekly emails, webpage, and private Facebook group. We provide a Frontrunners technical shirt, participant store discount, training tips, editorials, and speaker events to keep you motivated!

Marathon Runners: Wednesday January 6 2027 - Wednesday April 28, 2027

Goal Race: BMO Vancouver Marathon, May 2

Half Runners: Wednesday January 6, 2027 - Wednesday May 26, 2027

Goal Races: BMO Vancouver Half Marathon, May 2. Oak Bay Half Marathon, May 30

RTR/Maintenance Runners: Wednesday January 6, 2027 - Wednesday May 26, 2027

Goal Races: TC10K, April 25, 2027. Oak Bay Half Marathon Relay or 10k, May 30. 2027

This year we are introducing a “Green” registration option where you can opt not to receive a clinic shirt. Instead a donation will be made to the Victoria Hospice Foundation.

Cost of all clinics: $99.95 (includes optional technical shirt) + Race Roster Fees

Race registrations are not included with clinic

Our program includes:

A complete training schedule from day 1 to race day, with a weekly breakdown consisting of self-directed “homework” runs, plus our twice weekly group runs. Our group runs take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Wednesday workouts focus on hills, speed and tempos. Saturday morning long runs will be run-leader led and focus on building distance and endurance.

Meeting Spots:

There are four Wednesday Workout meeting options:

Downtown Early Morning 6:00 am (in front of the old Downtown Y, corner of Broughton and Quadra)

Downtown Evening 5:30 pm (Dallas & Memorial)

Shelbourne Evening 6:00 pm (Varies)

Westshore Evening 6:00 pm (FR Westshore)

Saturday long runs:

On Saturdays, we meet at 8:00 am in two groups: the Marathon runners meet together, and the Half Marathon and Return-to-Run/Maintenance runners meet together. The Saturday meeting locations vary week-to-week in the Greater Victoria region. We try to spread out our Saturday start locations throughout the region, acknowledging that we have runners from all over the community.

For the first three weeks we will meet at 8:30 am due to B.C. staying on daylight time.

RTR/Maintenance Option

This group supports runners who are returning to running after a break due to any number of reasons (injury, illness, children, etc.) and/or runners who just love to run and maintain their endurance fitness, but don’t want a long marathon/half marathon training run on Saturday. This option provides a structured, social group meeting within the Wednesday and Saturday workouts. This is an opportunity to build and maintain a strong running base.

The RTR/M group has its own training schedule that follows the structure of the marathon and half marathon training schedule with self-directed “homework” runs, plus our twice weekly group runs. At the Wednesday workouts, RTR/M runners have the option of running easy, doing a shorter workout, or completing the same workout as the marathon and half marathoners. For Saturday long runs the group will build from ~40 mins (~5 to 8 km) to ~75 mins (~10 to 12 km). These runs will be led by experienced run leaders and will offer paces between 6 min/km and 7:30 min/km.

Some RTR/M runners set a TC10K race goal while some participate in the Oak Bay Half Marathon Relay or 10k. Others have different fitness goals or races in mind. If your running goals change during the clinic, you can move into the half marathon group, or the Tuesday Learn to Run Clinic.

Prerequisites:

Marathon - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 75 to 90 minutes and be running at least 4 times a week. You need to be able to sustain at least a 7:30 min/km pace on these runs. If you are unsure if you meet the requirements for this group, please contact Jonathan Foweraker at [email protected].

Half - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 40 to 50 minutes and be running at least three times a week. We have eight pace groups, ranging from sub 4:45 min/km groups up to groups running 7 - 7:30 min/km. If you are unsure if you meet the requirements for this group, please contact Wendy Cohen at [email protected]

RTR/M - Participants should feel comfortable running at a steady pace for at least 35 to 40 minutes and be running at least a couple of times a week. We will accommodate a number of paces, but you must be able to run 5 km in under 40 minutes at the start of the clinic. Runners not meeting the prerequisites are welcome to join the Learn To Run Clinic being offered by Frontrunners on Tuesday nights. If you are unsure if you meet the requirements for the RTR/M group, please contact Wendy Cohen at [email protected]

If you don’t meet these prerequisites, please check out our Learn to Run 5k and Learn to Run 10k programs (below)!

LEARN TO RUN 5K & 10K PROGRAM

The Frontrunners Learn to Run 5K & 10K training is a 20 week program that will run from Tuesday January 5, 2027 - May 25, 2027. The Learn to Run goal races are the Oak Bay 10k/Half Relay events May 30, 2027. Our participants can run one of two options on race day: They can run the 10k race themselves, or they can join a team of 4 runners who will each run ~5k of the Half Marathon relay. (*race registration not included)

Our program includes:

• A complete training schedule to prepare participants to build up to running either 5k or 10k by the end of the 20 week program. (Unlike shorter 5k/10k programs, our walk/run clinic emphasizes a very gradual progression to maximize your chances of remaining injury free.)

• Weekly pre-run question/answer sessions that will address the questions that arise as the clinic progresses.

• Weekly in-depth articles that cover a range of running topics including injury prevention, motivational techniques, strength and mobility, nutrition and hydration, and proper footwear and apparel.

• Each clinic run will begin with a pre-run dynamic stretching session designed to ensure we warm up our bodies to prevent injuries and make our running more enjoyable.

• Each clinic run will end with a post-run stretching session led by run leaders to help keep our bodies flexible.

• We also support our running community through facebook and other means to help us build into a strong runner community.

• There will be two goal groups - the 5k group for those who have not run before or who haven’t run for a while and want to start from scratch, and a 10k group for those who have completed the Learn to Run 5k clinic or who can run/walk for 25 minutes at the start of the program.

• The clinic will meet once a week as a group, with two other ‘homework’ run/walks to be done during the week.

• Note: the clinic is a run/walk program for the duration of the 20 weeks.

This year we are introducing a “Green” registration option where you can opt not to receive a clinic shirt. Instead a donation will be made to the Victoria Hospice Foundation.

Clinic Cost: $99.95 (includes optional technical shirt) + Race Roster Fees

Tuesday evenings

Location: Beacon Hill Petting Zoo and Veteran’s Memorial Park

Time: 6pm - 7pm

Pre-requisites:

5K: Able to do a moderate to fast walk without difficulty for 25 minutes and run for 1 minute.

10K: Able to do a run / walk for 25 minutes

All clinics have a minimum age limit of 18 years of age and dogs are not permitted.

WALK BEFORE YOU RUN

A 20-Week Beginner-Friendly Program

Not ready to run yet? That’s exactly where this program starts.

Walk Before You Run is designed for people who want to become runners—but aren’t quite ready to jump into a traditional beginner running group. Whether you’re starting from scratch, returning after time off, or simply looking for a gentler entry point, this program meets you where you are.

What to Expect

This 20-week program begins with structured walking and gradually introduces short, manageable jogging intervals over time.

Each week includes:

• 1 coached group session (Tuesdays at 6:00 PM)

• 2 independent “homework” walks to complete on your own

You’ll build:

• Confidence and consistency

• Strength and resilience

• The fitness needed to begin running safely

By the end of the program, you’ll be comfortably completing structured run/walk intervals and ready to transition into our First Steps beginner running group.

Program Details

• Duration: 20 weeks

• Group Session: Tuesdays at 6:00 PM

• Additional Work: 2 self-guided sessions per week

• Session Length: 20–45 minutes

• Pace: Easy and conversational

A Note on Consistency

Progress in this program depends on completing all three weekly sessions.

The group session will guide you, but the independent walks are where your fitness develops. Participants who consistently complete their weekly sessions will see the best results.

Who This Program Is For

This program is a great fit if you:

• Have never run before

• Feel that a typical beginner running group may be too challenging right now

• Are returning to activity after time away

• Want a gradual, supportive approach to getting started

Our Approach

We believe that starting slowly is the best way to build lasting progress.

• Walking is a key part of the program—not a fallback

• Progression is gradual to reduce the risk of injury

• Sessions are led by experienced, supportive run l eaders

• You’ll be encouraged to go at your own pace.

What You’ll Need

• Comfortable walking or running shoes

• Weather-appropriate clothing

• A willingness to start where you are

What Happens Next

After completing Walk Before You Run, participants can:

Move into our First Steps beginner running program

• Continue progressing with run/walk intervals

• Build toward personal fitness or running goals

Ready to Get Started?

If you’ve been thinking about running but weren’t sure where to begin, this is your starting line.

Join us and take the first step—at your own pace.