There are two bodies that running clubs in the UK can affiliate to - UK athletics/England Athletics or the Association of Running Clubs.

If a club affiliate to England Athletics (EA) then the club pays an annual affiliation fee but an individual member has to pay a fee for a competition licence in order to entitle them to claim an affiliation discount on races they enter. 
 

Affiliation to ARC requires the club to pay an annual affiliation fee based on membership size but individual members do not pay a licence fee. Members can pay a discounted entry fee on races run only under an ARC permit.

Because the ethos of the club is ‘free for all members’, the club are affiliated to the Association of Running Clubs (ARC) as payment for competition licences goes against the clubs ethos of being totally free to all members. Affiliation to ARC entitles all members of the club to benefit from being treated as an affiliated runner when they enter races under an ARC permit. How do I know if the race is under an ARC permit? Look out for the ARC logo, ARC permit number and/or the information shown below when you look at the race entry. ARC permits start with the letters ARC and then the year of issue eg ARC 22/1342. This tells you the race has been accurately measured and has a permit that has been granted by ARC. Being a member of Stevenage Phoenix entitles you to enter such races as ‘affiliated’. This usually means a discount of £2 on the entry fee. 
 

What if the race is not held under an ARC permit? In this case, members of Stevenage Phoenix will need to enter such a race as ‘unaffiliated’. 
 

What if I am unsure about which type of permit (EA or ARC) the race has been granted? Generally if you can’t see the ARC logo it will most likely be held under a UKA permit. If you are still unsure, please ask the race director.

The club reviews its decisions surrounding its affiliations to EA and ARC each year. 

Being affiliated to ARC also provides important third party insurance benefits to the club and its coaching team, together with access to low cost race permits for organising races. 
 

Affiliation to HCAAA enables our members to compete in Herts County road races together with the club supporting the association. Herts County has a range of road races that provide competition for seniors and vets.