About Lane Six and how you use the guides

You want to start running in England and you need clear steps. Lane Six explains how grassroots athletics and group running work in practice.

What you find here

The site has three sections. Start Running shows how to join a first session, what to wear and how regular group sessions are organised. Clubs and Membership explains how affiliated clubs work, how athlete registration works, how RUN:EA membership works and how RunTogether groups work. Events and Volunteering explains how parkrun works, how track meetings work and how you can help as a volunteer.

You can use Corby in Northamptonshire as an example when local detail helps you understand the county structure and travel to sessions. The site keeps the focus on England and on steps you can take near where you live.

How the articles are written

The Lane Six editorial team writes each article from public sources. The sources are named at the end of each article, so you can check them. The team describes each organisation in the third person. It reports what the organisation publishes about its own process and states when a process varies by club or by area.

You get plain explanations, without health or performance advice. If you need personal guidance, you speak with your club, your group leader or your medical professional. You see notes in the text when rules differ between areas.

The site is written for you if you are starting to run as an adult, if you are a parent of a young athlete, or if you volunteer at a club. You can use the contact email if you see something to correct.

You can start with Start Running and move to the other sections when you are ready to join or to volunteer. You can return when you need to check a step.