The Penticton Track and Field Club (PETF) in Penticton, B.C., is setting a new standard for community-based athletics to make their programs more accessible and affordable for local families. Through a blend of volunteer-based coaching and a commitment to keeping fees low, the club ensures the provision of inclusive opportunities within the sports of track and field and cross-country for athletes age nine to 20 in the southern Okanagan Valley.
Distance coach and club vice-president Ryan Hayden is excited to encourage young track and field athletes to achieve their dreams; the Richmond, B.C. native competed on three Canadian world cross-country teams and is one of 76 Canadian men to run sub-four minutes for the mile in his career.
“For 10 to 15 years, there was no track and field program in the area,” Hayden told Canadian Running. “My family moved to the area in 2020 and wanted our kids to be involved in track–so we started the club with other people in our town.”
In 2021, PETF was established, and by the end of its third year, the club had more than 100 kids participating in a single track and field season. For cross-country sessions, the club began using a path that ran through the Hayden family’s property.
“When we first got it up and running, we didn’t expect much,” the endurance coach says. “We thought it would be a handful, but every year it had increased by about 25 per cent–surprised us, because Penticton is a smaller area.”
In addition to high interest, the club saw a lot of success in its first few years–kids in all age groups were winning provincial and/or national titles. “In cross-country last year, we won the U18 Boys provincial championships,” Hayden says. “We’re hoping to do that again this year, and bring both the U16 and U18 boys’ and girls’ teams to nationals in London, Ont.”
100 per cent volunteer-based coaching
Hayden explains the coaching is completely volunteer-based. Without paid coaches or administration, the club can keep things affordable and assist with funding for meets. The organization also directs families to potential sources of financial aid, including KidSport Okanagan, the Canadian Tire Jump Start Program and Athletics for Kids Grant.
PETF isn’t just for youth aiming to pursue running at a high level; it welcomes athletes of all levels and abilities. The club offers technical expertise and a supportive training environment for those looking to develop their skills, whether for recreational purposes or national competitions. Coaches take a goal-oriented approach when designing training programs for youth, ensuring each athlete’s growth and progress. PETF offers both junior development and high school programs.
The club also offers an altitude training camp for high schoolers, at Nickleplate Nordic Ski Centre in Hedley, B.C. At 1,850 metres of altitude, endurance athletes can efficiently develop their aerobic capacity and reduce their recovery time after training. Last year, former Canadian marathon record holder and three-time Olympian Malindi Elmore was a guest speaker at the camp, providing elite advice and guidance for the 45 athletes in attendance.
Hayden demonstrated a strong eagerness to drive success in all the athletes’ track careers. “We offer strength training programs for minimal cost to the athletes, outside of the running training,” he says. He has also run a commercial painting business in Vancouver and the Okanagan for the past 19 years, and aims to employ as many track athletes as possible.
