A good pre-run briefing does not need to become a speech. In most running clubs, two focused minutes are enough to confirm who is present, explain the route, introduce the leaders and make sure everyone knows what to do if the group becomes separated or somebody needs help.
The value comes from consistency. When every leader covers the same essentials, members know what to expect and important information is less likely to be missed on a busy club night.
This checklist gives run leaders a practical structure they can adapt to their routes, members and club procedures.
What should a pre-run briefing cover?
A useful briefing should answer six questions before the group sets off:
- Has everyone been checked in?
- Who is leading and supporting the group?
- What route or session is planned?
- How will the group stay together?
- Are there any conditions or hazards to highlight?
- What should runners do if there is a problem?
England Athletics’ Leadership in Running Fitness guidance emphasises planning safe, enjoyable group sessions, organising activities and communicating clearly. A short briefing helps put those principles into practice.
Before speaking: complete four quick checks
The briefing works best when the leader has already dealt with the basic organisation. Aim to complete these checks while runners are arriving.
1. Confirm attendance
Make sure every member and guest taking part has been recorded. Do not rely on recognising familiar faces or reconstructing the list afterwards.
Accurate attendance gives the club a clear record of who joined the session and helps leaders confirm that everyone has returned. Our guide to running club attendance tracking explains how to make this process reliable without creating unnecessary queues.
If somebody arrives after the briefing, check them in and give them the essential route and safety information separately.
2. Match runners to the right group
Confirm each group’s approximate pace, distance and session type. Avoid relying on labels such as “fast”, “steady” or “easy” if new members may not understand what they mean.
When several groups leave at once, keep a separate attendance list for each one. A multi-session check-in process can help clubs keep different leaders, routes and pace groups organised without combining everybody into one unclear register.
3. Check leader coverage
Make sure each group has an appropriate leader and any additional support required for the session. Consider the route, weather, visibility, group size, participants’ experience and whether anybody may need extra assistance.
UK Athletics’ supervision guidance explains that there is no single ratio suitable for every athletics or running activity. The right level of supervision depends on the people, environment and activity involved.
If the planned group cannot be supported appropriately, change the route, combine groups where sensible or adjust the session rather than hoping everything will work out.
4. Review anything that has changed
A standard route can still present different issues from one week to the next. Check for significant changes such as:
- poor weather or reduced visibility;
- roadworks, flooding or damaged paths;
- a local event making the route unusually busy;
- a leader becoming unavailable;
- a larger or less experienced group than expected;
- a change to the planned meeting or finishing point.
The HSE’s guidance for amateur sports clubs recommends a proportionate approach focused on realistic risks and practical controls. A pre-run check should not become paperwork for its own sake, but leaders should respond when something important has changed.
The two-minute pre-run briefing checklist
Once everyone has gathered, work through the following points in a clear order.
Welcome runners and identify the leaders
Introduce yourself, any supporting leaders and the person running at the back if your club uses one. Point out new members or guests only when they are comfortable with this; a friendly welcome should not make somebody feel exposed.
If several groups are meeting together, make it obvious which leader is responsible for each group.
Describe the route and session
Give runners the information they actually need:
- approximate distance and expected duration;
- the main roads, paths or landmarks used;
- whether the route includes hills, trails or intervals;
- planned stopping, regrouping or turnaround points;
- where the session will finish.
Avoid giving a lengthy turn-by-turn description that nobody will remember. The leader should know the route; runners mainly need to understand the shape and expectations of the session.
Explain how the group will stay together
Tell runners what system the group will use. Depending on the session, this may include regular regrouping, loop-backs, a back marker or instructions not to pass the front leader.
Be particularly clear with runners who are new to the club. They may not realise that speeding ahead or quietly changing groups can make it harder for leaders to account for everyone.
Highlight the main hazards
Keep this specific to the session. Useful examples include a busy crossing, an unlit section, slippery ground, livestock, narrow pavements or a point where runners must remain on one side of the path.
General warnings repeated every week are easily ignored. Two relevant points are more useful than a long list of unlikely possibilities. England Athletics also provides practical seasonal material through its Run Leader resources, including guidance for running in the dark.
Give a clear instruction for problems
Runners should know who to tell if they feel unwell, pick up an injury, need to slow down or decide to leave early. Make it clear that nobody should disappear from the session without informing a leader.
Remind the group not to leave a runner alone if there is a problem. Leaders should follow the club’s emergency procedure and use 999 when emergency assistance is needed.
Check that authorised volunteers can access the details they may genuinely need. The club’s process for keeping emergency contact information accurate and available should be agreed before an incident occurs, not improvised at the roadside.
Invite relevant private information
Finish by giving runners an opportunity to speak to a leader privately before setting off. A runner may need to mention an injury, a health consideration, anxiety about the route or another issue they do not want to announce to the group.
Leaders do not need to request personal medical histories in front of everyone. The aim is simply to make it easy for a runner to share information that may affect their participation that evening.
A simple briefing script
Clubs can use this example as a prompt rather than a script that must be recited word for word:
“Welcome, everyone. I’m leading tonight, Sam is supporting the middle of the group and Priya will be at the back. We’re running approximately six kilometres and expect to be out for about 40 minutes.
“We’ll regroup at the park entrance and again after the hill. Please stay behind the front leader and do not change groups without telling one of us. Take particular care at the road crossing and on the narrow section beside the canal.
“If you feel unwell, need to slow down or plan to leave early, tell a leader. Please do not leave the group without letting us know. If there is anything relevant you would prefer to discuss privately, speak to one of us before we start.”
The wording can be adjusted for intervals, trail runs, beginner groups and junior sessions. The structure remains the same: people, plan, group management, hazards and what to do if something changes.
What to do after the session
The leader’s responsibility does not end when the first runner reaches the finish. Confirm that everyone who checked in has returned or has been accounted for. Record any significant accident, near miss or concern while the facts are still clear.
Use the club’s agreed process rather than leaving details in personal messages or relying on somebody to remember them. See what a running club should record after an incident and, where the issue relates to a member’s wellbeing, follow the club’s process for handling a welfare concern.
Make the briefing consistent, not complicated
The best pre-run briefing is short enough to use every week and structured enough that a different volunteer can deliver it confidently. Give leaders a one-page prompt, include the process in volunteer induction and review it whenever routes or club procedures change.
Attendance records, group lists and emergency details should also be available without one volunteer carrying several pieces of paper. Running Club Check-In brings these workflows together so leaders can see who is taking part and keep separate sessions organised from a phone, tablet or laptop.
Create a free club site and test the check-in process with your leaders before your next club night.
