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What is WeROCK?

WeRock stands for “We Run Our Community’s Kids”. We are a noncompetetive marathon training program that teaches middle and high school students mental and physical endurance. In our program and they learn that they are capable of doing hard things.

When do you train?

For Middle School students, we train right after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all campuses will meet together on Saturday mornings. We also meet on the occasional Monday following a race for “Medal Mondays”. Runners will be asked to complete one independent run on their own before Friday.

High School will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings

Where do you train?

During the week, we train on our School Campuses.

Saturday practices will typically be in Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, or Ladera Ranch.

Our races are typically located throughout Orange County, Riverside, and Long Beach*

*Subject to race availability

What Does a Typical Season Look Like?

Our milestones are:

5k distance in October

10k in December

Half Marathon in January

Our BIG 3: 18, 20, 22 miles between March and April

Full Marathon (26.2 miles) at the OC Marathon, which is traditionally the first weekend in May

What does my runner need to participate?

1. A standard watch with a stopwatch function (GPS watch is NOT required)

2. Black shorts or leggings (no team logos, basic brand logos, and simple stripes are acceptable)

3. Handheld running water bottle, hip belt or hydration backpack (they should have pockets to hold
fuel)

4. Good pair of Running shoes

5. Maintain a minimum 15-minute per mile pace during the week and a 16-minute per mile pace on Saturdays (which is really not more than a speed walk)

Where can I find appropriate running gear?

WeROCK has a partnership with Road Runner Sports in Laguna Hills. Mention WeROCK at checkout to receive 10% off.

A Snail’s Pace & Sports Basement also offer a team discount of 10% off.

You may shop anywhere, such as Amazon, Dicks Sporting Goods, or any local running store. Our recommendation is to go into a store, try a few things out, and find out what works best for your runner before buying online if that is the better option. Some runners prefer handheld water bottles, some prefer hip belts, and others like hydration packs.

How do you track the runner’s progress?

All Runners will create a Strava profile and join their WeRock school club and the WeRock all-team club in Strava. These groups are set to private. We suggest your athlete profile is set to private as well.

Runners will check in at aid stations along the route each Saturday, and their time will be recorded. Regular pacing reports will be sent out to parents to ensure all runners are keeping with our minimum requirements and on goal.

What if my runner doesn’t want to do a full marathon?

While we love seeing our runners achieve the incredible milestone of a full marathon, we understand

What races do you participate in?

Our races can vary from season to season based on race schedule and availability, but we will do one formal race per month. Traditionally, WeROCK runners have participated in the following races:

• Aquarium of the Pacific 5K, Long Beach
• Dino Dash 5K, Tustin
• Santa Clause for a Cause 10K, Irvine
• Citrus Half Marathon, Riverside
• Surf City Half Marathon, Huntington Beach
• WeRock 10K & 32K (formerly known as the WeRock 20 mile qualifier), Aliso Viejo
• Bedrock Trail 15K, Hemet
• OC Marathon & Half, Newport Beach

Can Parents join?

Absolutely! You may join us for a run on Saturdays as long as you sign and turn in the two liability
waivers. Parents are welcome to register for any races that WeROCK participates in but will be
responsible for their own registration and packet pick-up if they are not WeROCK Participants
themselves. Parents who join WeROCK as official participants will receive all the benefits of our
student runners.

What do I get?

Besides an amazing experience building mental and physical endurance and camaraderie with
fellow runners your age? You get 2 short sleeve WeROCK run shirts (1-Orange, 1-Color of the year),
a long sleeve run shirt, race medals, and shirts to show off your achievements, and, if you complete
the full or half marathon at the end of the year, a cool finishers Jacket to compliment that awesome
medal to show off your accomplishment!

Do I need to register my runner for the races myself and pickup race packets?

WeROCK handles race registration and Packet Pick up for all our participants. Runners will receive
their bibs, SWAG, T-Shirts, etc. at the WeROCK compound at each race.

What if ________ day doesn’t work for me?

While there is no equal substitute for running with your peers and experiencing the awesome team-building experience we have at practice, we understand that life happens. Many of our participants do other sports throughout the year alongside WeROCK. If you are unable to join us for a practice, you can
make it up on your own. Just be sure to log your miles in Strava.

As we progress through the year, however, we have found the longer miles become more challenging to make up on your own. We highly encourage all our participants to join those to take advantage of our frequent aid stations, and the mental boost you can get by running with your peers during our
Saturday practices.

How do I know my runner will be safe? Will they be running on their own?

Our coaches are vigilant and watch for all our runners. While we can’t keep an eye on every single runner, we do assign a sweeper to ensure no one is falling behind. On Saturdays, we always have a coach as a designated sweeper, and every runner will check in at the aid stations to ensure no one has deviated from the course or fallen behind.

If ever there is a community safety alert, we will alter practices as necessary to ensure the safety of all our participants.

What happens if my runner shows up to practice without a required item?

If your runner shows up to a Saturday practice without a watch, water bottle, or appropriate running
shoes, they will be sent home. On race days, failure to arrive with the appropriate gear and uniform (appropriate race shirt, black shorts or leggings, water bottle, and proper running shoes) will result in your runner not being able to participate in the race. On weekday practices, your kids will be allowed to stay at practice. However, they will receive a strike. Three strikes can result in sitting out at the next event.

Do you offer a Trial Period?

We do not offer a trial period. The history and successes of the program speak for themselves.

WeROCK has been training student-athletes for 14 years, and parents and coaches have seen their
amazing transformation and accomplishments. This is a fantastic program, and your
child/student/runner will have a unique and life-changing experience!

I’m concerned that Marathon training could be dangerous for my child!

WeROCK has several doctors and medical professionals on our Board of Directors who oversee and support our training schedule and goals. The non-competitive nature of our program means we see much lower injury rates than many team sports and our program is designed to not push our kids beyond their capabilities before they’re ready. All our coaches train our runners to go at their own pace and do their best. If severe pains or injuries do occur, we will alter the training program as necessary to cater to individual needs once they have received proper medical diagnosis and treatment and have recovered appropriately. The minimum requirement of a 16-minute per mile pace means kids are not required to push themselves any harder than they are capable.

My runner has already had a physical exam completed within the last 12 months. Will they need another one?

No, If your runner has already completed a physical exam with a physician within the last 12 months,
we only require a signed and stamped form from the physician’s office for the current year. You cannot reuse last season’s Physical form, even if it is within the 12-month period before the next Physical Exam is scheduled.

Do you offer a training program during the summer?

We do! The WeROCK Summer Trail program meets 3x a week with no Saturday runs. The Summer program lasts about 8 weeks between June and August and will run two races, a 5K and 10K. The summer program runs entirely on dirt trails typically in Mission Viejo (with creek crossings), Aliso Wood Canyon, and Ladera Ranch.

Why a 16-minute mile pace?

The OC Marathon requires all runners to finish in 7 hours or less. A 7-hour marathon breaks down to 16 minutes per mile.

How far is a marathon?

26.2 Miles!

How do I sign up?

You can find our registration forms HERE

COVID-19 Safety Plan + COVID-19 Information

We will continue to watch the guidelines as passed down from Capistrano Unified School
District (CUSD), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and other health agencies as to ongoing
policy changes and adapt as needed.