A running club member survey should help the committee make decisions. It should not become a long list of satisfaction scores that sits unread in somebody’s inbox.
The most useful surveys start with a specific question, take only a few minutes to complete and end with a visible response from the committee. Members need to understand why they are being asked, while volunteers need a manageable way to review the answers and decide what happens next.
That means doing some planning before sending a form to the entire membership.
Start with one decision the survey will support
Do not begin by asking, “What would we like to know?” Begin with, “What decision do we need to make?”
A club might use a survey to:
- review whether its current session times still work;
- understand why certain groups or sessions are less well attended;
- plan activities for the next membership year;
- improve the experience of new members;
- identify barriers to volunteering;
- review the clarity of club communications; or
- check whether members feel welcome and included.
England Athletics’ member-feedback resources for clubs recommend defining the purpose, target audience and intended use of a survey before drafting its questions. This prevents the form from growing into an unfocused annual interrogation.
If the committee has several unrelated issues to explore, either prioritise one or split the work into shorter surveys at sensible points during the year.
Check what the club already knows
A survey is not always the first place to look for an answer. Before asking members about attendance, participation or communication, review the information the club already holds.
For example, attendance and engagement reports may show that a particular session has become quieter, that new members attend for a few weeks before dropping away or that participation changes at certain times of year. The survey can then explore the reasons behind the pattern.
This produces better questions. Instead of asking, “Are you happy with our sessions?”, the club could ask:
- “What makes it difficult for you to attend the Thursday session?”
- “Which alternative start time would be most practical?”
- “What would make you more confident about joining a different pace group?”
Attendance records show what is happening. Member feedback can help explain why.
Keep the survey short enough to finish
For a routine club survey, aim for around eight to ten purposeful questions. Most should be quick selections or rating questions, supported by one or two opportunities to write a comment.
A practical structure is:
- A short explanation of the survey’s purpose.
- One overall experience question.
- Four to six questions about the specific issue being reviewed.
- One question about the most important improvement.
- An open comment box.
- An optional way to request a follow-up conversation.
Tell members approximately how long the survey will take, when it closes and what the committee intends to do with the findings. Avoid making every question compulsory, particularly free-text questions.
Ten running club member survey questions
The exact questions should reflect the survey’s purpose, but the following set provides a useful starting point for a general member-experience review:
- Overall, how satisfied are you with your experience as a club member?
- Which club sessions or activities have you attended during the past three months?
- How easy is it to find the information you need about sessions, routes and club activities?
- How welcome do you feel when attending a club session?
- Do the club’s current range of pace groups or session types meet your needs?
- Is there anything that regularly makes it difficult for you to attend?
- Do you know who to contact if you have a membership, welfare or session-related question?
- Would you be interested in helping with any club tasks or volunteer roles?
- What is one thing the club should continue doing?
- What is one realistic change that would improve your club experience?
Use balanced answer options. If members can select “very satisfied”, they should also be able to select “very dissatisfied”. Include “not applicable” or “I do not know” where forcing an opinion would produce misleading results.
Avoid questions that lead members towards an answer
A question such as “How much have you enjoyed our successful new interval session?” already tells respondents what the committee hopes to hear.
Use neutral wording instead:
Better: “How would you rate the new interval session?”
Then ask: “What, if anything, would you change about it?”
Also avoid combining two issues in one question. “Are club-night emails clear and sent early enough?” cannot tell the committee whether a low score relates to clarity, timing or both. Ask separately if both answers matter.
Decide whether responses are anonymous or confidential
Anonymous and confidential do not mean the same thing.
- Anonymous: the club cannot identify who submitted a response.
- Confidential: somebody can identify the respondent, but access is restricted and the answers will not be attributed more widely.
Be accurate when describing the survey. A form is not truly anonymous if it automatically records email addresses, requires members to sign in or asks for enough detailed information to identify somebody.
If the club collects names, contact details or other identifiable information, explain why it is needed, who will see it and how long it will be retained. The Information Commissioner’s Office outlines the relevant UK GDPR data-protection principles, including transparency, data minimisation, storage limitation and security.
Do not collect demographic details simply because the survey software offers them. Only ask for information the committee has a clear reason to use. Clubs reviewing their wider handling of personal information can also follow the running club GDPR data audit checklist.
Invite the whole membership, not just regular attendees
It is easy to promote a survey at club night and receive answers mainly from the members who already attend frequently. Those views matter, but they may not reveal why other members have become less active.
Use the club’s normal communication channels to reach the full intended audience. Give members a reasonable closing date and send one clear reminder rather than repeatedly chasing them.
Keep the invitation simple:
- why the club is asking;
- who should respond;
- how long it should take;
- whether responses are anonymous or confidential;
- the closing date; and
- when members can expect an update.
If previous messages have been missed or misunderstood, review these common running club communication mistakes before distributing the survey.
Interpret small response numbers carefully
A club survey is useful even when the membership is relatively small, but committees should not make the results appear more certain than they are.
England Athletics advises clubs to avoid misleading percentages when the sample is small. Saying “six of the 12 respondents preferred an earlier start” is clearer than presenting the result simply as “50% of members”. It shows both the finding and its limits.
Look for:
- themes repeated across several comments;
- clear differences between newer and longer-standing members, where that comparison is appropriate;
- answers that match or challenge actual attendance patterns;
- practical changes the committee can test; and
- individual concerns that need a private follow-up rather than a general policy response.
One strongly worded comment should not automatically set the club’s priorities. Equally, a serious welfare or conduct concern should not be ignored just because only one person raised it. Direct any such concern through the club’s established process rather than discussing identifiable details in a general survey report.
Report back before members assume nothing happened
The quickest way to damage confidence in future surveys is to ask for feedback and then disappear.
A short “you said, we will” update is usually enough. Divide the findings into three groups:
- Changes the club can make now: small improvements with a clear owner and date.
- Ideas requiring more work: proposals that need costs, volunteer capacity or a trial period to be assessed.
- Requests the club cannot currently adopt: explain the practical reason rather than quietly omitting them.
Assign each agreed action to a committee role and review progress at a future meeting. If the club tests a new session time or communication method, compare subsequent feedback with member engagement and attendance patterns.
Make feedback a routine, not an annual event
A large annual survey should not be the only opportunity members have to speak. Brief conversations, new-member check-ins, volunteer reviews and focused polls can help the committee identify smaller issues earlier.
The aim is not to run surveys constantly. It is to create a simple loop:
- Notice a question or pattern.
- Ask the right members about it.
- Review the answers alongside club records.
- Choose a realistic action.
- Tell members what will happen.
- Check whether the change helped.
If your committee wants attendance, engagement, membership records and club communication kept in one connected place, explore the Running Club Check-In features or create a free club site. No payment details are required to start.
