Clonliffe Harriers brings to members attention the welcomed news of the return of limited club activities from Athletics Ireland (below).The club are considering how to implement this and will make a further posting in the coming days. Members attention is drawn to the Guidance for athletes below. Please do read this in detail.
Athletics Ireland is delighted to announce that in accordance with specific government guidelines all clubs can return to limited activity from Monday 18th May. Athletics is one of the first sports to receive Sport Ireland and Government endorsement to return to activity and we thank the expert contribution from our working groups in competition, recreation and clubs. Athletics is a key strategic sport in improving the health of the nation and the recent study detailing the huge increases in people walking and running in the last two months illustrates the necessity to open our club outdoor facilities.
Key parameters that must be met on Phase 1 of the Government roadmap are;
People can engage in outdoor sporting and fitness activities, either individually or in very small groups (maximum 4 people), where social distancing can be maintained and where there is no contact
People living within a 5 km radius of their athletic club can attend to train
Hamish Adams, CEO notes “It is a privilege for us to be one of the first sports returning to club activity and with this privilege comes a great responsibility to ensure all our clubs and members operate to the highest standards of compliance to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. This is the first small step on our journey to return to full activity, we continue to plan and prepare for competition and events from August onwards subject to government directives.”
We wish to note that every club will have their own unique set of Covid-19 challenges around social distancing, contact tracing, hygiene and member management. We strongly advise that each club committee meets virtually to develop their return to athletics plans. A draft risk assessment template is attached for further development with club safety officers to ensure the highest standards of hygiene, tracing and social distancing are established.
A strict set of guidelines (note these guidelines are not exhaustive) has been developed with expert advice and this information can be found on the links below;