Phoenix Athletics and Triathlon club

About Phoenix

Phoenix Athletics Club was formed in 1981 by Matt Paterson and Olympic champion Steve Ovett. Having widened our appeal to include triathlon in 19XX, we now have more than 200 members  – from juniors to veterans competing at local, national and international level, to those simply looking to get fit and healthy.

Our aim is to give the best support to athletes, which we do by organising ourselves into three main sections:

• Juniors (from age 9) – the largest group in the club.
• Seniors – including very competitive women’s and veterans’ groups
• Multisport – catering for the specific training needs of triathletes.

Coaching policy

At Phoenix we believe that only by respecting the personal ambitions of the individual athlete will we get the best from them. We do this by placing each individual in a group according to their ability. Groups are run by one of our experienced and enthusiastic coaches, who give up their time to look after athletes free of charge. Coaching Director Malcolm Kemp oversees the groups and there are regular meetings to improve training standards and to adjust the size of groups to keep them at manageable levels. The club's philosophy is to enjoy athletics.

To this end coaches provide a wide variety of training sessions to stimulate the interest of our athletes. Competitions – ranging from events such as the London Marathon to the South Downs Way Relay – are available throughout the year, and coaches will give athletes every encouragement to enter.

Club night

Phoenix is based at Withdean Stadium, where we meet every Wednesday, come rain or shine, throughout the year. Training sessions for the juniors are from 5:30pm onwards according to age and ability; those for seniors are from 6:45pm.

You will find details of additional sessions, such as our weekly long runs, Saturday-morning cycle rides or our coached swimming sessions, on the Training page. For details on how to join Phoenix AC, go to the How to join page.

Benefits of membership

In addition to support from our coaching team and the opportunity to train and compete with athletes of a similar ability, membership has some useful financial benefits. Club members are able to obtain a 10 per cent discount at: RUN, Blatchington Road, Hove; DAVID ROSE SPORTS, Western Road, Hove; and the JOG SHOP, George Street, Kemptown, Brighton. They also receive a discount on race entry fees.
But perhaps the most important benefit of being a member is being able to compete for the club and wear our distinctive Phoenix vest. Steve Ovett became an Olympic gold medal winner and, although we can offer no guarantee that you will follow in his footsteps, we will support you in all your efforts to do so!