An intense examination of what training loads are required to make good juniors great seniors will begin on Wednesday 18 July (7.30pm) at the UK Athletics Endurance Performance Centre at St Mary’s University Twickenham.

UK Athletics will present a seminar entitled “training loads and progression towards performance for young endurance athletes” – and all interested athletes, parents and coaches will be given free admission.

The event, being arranged during the annual London Marathon Young Athletes’ Training Camp at St Mary’s, will take the form of a question and answer workshop.

“This is the starting point of a very important discussion,” says UKA Senior Coordinator for Endurance, Spencer Barden. “We have loads of good juniors who we intend to ensure become great seniors. We have every confidence that this seminar will give us much useful information to start a meaningful and constructive debate.”

Barden, who progressed from successful junior to international senior during his own running career, will be joined on the panel by:

Alan Storey, UK Athletics Senior Performance Manager for Endurance, who has coached athletes to medals at Olympic Games and World Championships;

Wendy Sly, 1984 Olympic Games 3000m silver medallist who is now mentoring European Junior Cross Country Champion Steph Twell;

Mick Woods, coach to Twell and many more of the Aldershot, Farnham and District AC squad that dominates age group races in domestic road and cross country championships;

Charlotte Purdue, the UK School Games 3000m champion who is one of Woods’ squad;

Andy Vernon, the 2005 European Junior Cross Country and 5000m medallist who is based at St Mary’s;

Liz Yelling, who has emerged from the shadow of Paula Radcliffe at Bedford and County AC to become a Commonwealth Games marathon medallist and UK cross country champion in her own right;

Mark Buckingham, physiotherapist who helped develop the screening protocol for UKA, worked with Team GB at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, has been a regular with Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams at championships for the last 11 years.

Callum Orr, former secondary school head teacher, now UK Athletics Head of Coaching and Teaching with responsibility for the development of a coaching system which will ensure successful junior to senior transitions throughout athletics.

Coaches, athletes and parents wishing to attend the seminar and contribute to this important discussion should email either of the UKA Performance Coaches at St Mary’s, Craig Winrow at cwinrow@ukathletics.org.uk or Mick Woods at mwoods@ukathletics.org.uk for further information.