BRAT in conjunction with 3dtri are hosting a number of events during 2012, please click on the link below to find out more information.

The BRAT Birmingham Triathlon

The recommended sessions for those members who are complete novices include the Wednesday evening and Saturday morning run sessions and the Sunday afternoon swim session at 2 pm at Tiverton Road Pool (if you are interested in triathlon).

1. Wednesday evening running group meets outside the University of Birmingham Guild Building (main entrance of the Uni) at 7 pm. Total session time is 1 hour which includes warm up jogging, about 30 minutes of interval efforts on a flattish loop course so no-one gets lost, and then a cool down jog. There are at least 2 coaches, one of whom leads a novice runners group.
2. Saturday morning running group meets at the back of the Midland Arts Centre (MAC) at 10am. Total session time is about 1 hour 30 minutes, which includes a warm up jog, active stretching and core muscle strengthening, a set of "strides" to get ready for running up hill, and then about 30 to 45 minutes of either "hilly" efforts or "speed" efforts, on a looped course around Cannon Hill Park, so no-one gets lost. This session is also suitable for novice runners.
3. Sunday afternoon swimming 2 pm swim session at Tiverton Road Pool. There is a coached Novice Lane swim session for an hour, specifically for those learning to swim more effectively and efficiently. There are other coached lanes for strong, fast swimmers and intermediate swimmers.
4. Cycling Some of the local bicycle shops (Tri-1st and Birmingham City Cycles) offer cycling sessions for novices and there is a coached "C group" (slower cyclists) ride every Sunday morning leaving from the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) at 8.30am but we expect that you will already be able to ride a bike safely on the roads before you join this group.
5. For those living in the North of the City or unable to attend any of the above sessions, then alternative sessions for beginners are a swim session on Mondays nights and a run session on Thursday Evenings. There are no C or beginner level cycle sessions run from the North during winter but these resume again in the summer

No, this is all self-motivated and we will be delighted to support you for whatever amount of time you are able to commit. You will not get thrown out if you don't attend regularly. Our members have busy lives outside running, athletics or triathlon and most fit their training in around their existing commitments. However we must warn you that some members have become so enthusiastic that they try and fit the rest of their life around training!

No. You enter competitions if and when you feel ready. There are many local novice races. We can quote one member who said "I only want to join to swim". This member went on to successfully complete two Olympic distance triathlons the following year.

We would encourage any person who is interested in running, athletics or triathlon to join the club and improve their fitness generally. We do not expect all club members to be actively involved in competitions and we have a social membership category. Our club members have a wide spectrum of athletics or triathlon experience from complete beginners, to athletes who regularly compete at World Championship level for Great Britain.

However if you are not used to regular exercise, then you should probably discuss it with your G.P. before you start training.

Annual membership is due in April - see Joining Info under the Members link for more information.

British Triathlon (BT) members benefit from reduced race entry fees and news and race information from British Triathlon.

The BRAT Club has many qualified UK Athletics coaches and British Triathlon coaches from level 1 to level 3, all with current CRB checks. All club training sessions are led by trained coaches or very experienced session leaders.  Individual coaching support is available on request.

1. Running: You need a good pair of trainers for running, to help prevent injury. Warm clothing is essential for winter training, as well as reflective vests for night running.
2. Swimming: We recommend relatively close fitting swimming costumes (for example, the currently fashionable long baggy swimming shorts create too much drag to be suitable for training). Goggles are required for swimming.
3. Cycling on the open road will obviously require a bike  although you could just go to spin classes, particularly during the winter months. Members quite often join the club without a bike. We can offer advice on the kind of bike you might want to get and where to find it at a reasonable price. It may be possible to source a bike second-hand through club members. Before you can cycle in one of our cycling groups, we insist that you are able to cycle on roads safely by yourself, that you wear an approved safety helmet and that you have read our club cycling etiquette (See the "Downloads" section of the website).
4. Racing: We have club kit that can be purchased for racing in but you don't need that to join in with training.

Advice is always available on kit selection if required.

We have a lower age limit for the indoor swimming sessions of 8 years old, and for open water swimming of approximately 14 years old  but absolutely no upper limit. We have an active junior section of the club which is strongly represented on the Committee.

We currently have about 470 members. Although some new members join with experience of road racing, athletics, or triathlon, most are novices. Members come from a wide range of sporting backgrounds, including many who have never competed at any sport and just want to get fit.

Although the club is big and growing quickly, it remains a very friendly club and welcomes new members. We are proud that we were voted "Triathlon Club of the Year" in 2007 by British Triathlon (West Midlands). We have also been awarded a Clubmark by UK Athletics and British Triathlon, having achieved very high standards for coaching and junior development.