It looks like the Club will be closed for some time yet (24th Jan)

It looks like the Club will be closed for some time yet

The current level 5 restrictions were supposed to end on Sunday 31st January but of course the number of Covid infections is still far too high and there’s talk of extending the restrictions by a further four or six weeks, which would mean all of February and possibly into mid-March. If we stay at the current level, the Club will obviously remain closed but as of now we don’t know if there will be any relaxation for sports, though that would be a long shot, so we’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out in the coming week. While it’s very hard to see any competitions on the horizon in any shape except perhaps some virtual road races or similar, in an update from Athletics Ireland last Friday, we learned that the Athletics Ireland Covid Group continues to work closely with the Sport Ireland Expert Group in regard to providing members with regular updates and information during this difficult time and is coordinating regular, on-going discussions with key stakeholders on a return to competition as soon as possible.

For now, all we can do is try to keep training on our own as best as we can and everyone should keep in touch with their coach for advice and guidance on what training to do. Members are reminded that they can run and exercise within 5k of home on an individual basis but not in groups. They can exercise in pairs being mindful of others and keeping a social distance between others and should avoid congregating in groups when exercising outdoors and are reminded to be mindful of pedestrians at all times.

Something that Club members need to know is that registered Club members are covered by Athletics Ireland insurance when exercising from home, if the session is part of a coordinated programme supplied by the Club. Additionally, all AAI registered members participating on a live virtual Club training session facilitated by their Club coach are also covered under the Athletics Ireland personal accident insurance cover.