About Us

Mission Statement

Personal Best; To foster the development of athletics and the athlete’s potential through the administration and promotion of training and competition and provide a leadership role in the Greater Edmonton area.

Harrier Club Advantages

  • We have great kids and a great culture. Yes, a good bunch of them are introverts, and it is great to see them all come out of their shells when they come together!

  • We have great financial strength. Our fees have remained the same since before Covid, and we cover the costs of competition meet fees, the competition singlet, and some out-of-town travel costs as well. You just bring the shoes!

  • We welcome all abilities. We have athletes that take pride in setting personal bests or coming out for the social aspect, and we have athletes that have qualified for national-level competitions for multiple years in a row.

  • We are flexible. Families are busy and schedules are dynamic - you participate in what works for you.

  • We are established. The club has been around since 1984 and has had some Olympians, but more than that, generations of athletes that have more confidence in themselves after their time in the club.

  • We embrace the unique competitive environment. The friends are competitors and the competitors are friends - inside and outside of the club. Parents from other sports are shocked to see families cheering for all athletes, and watching those competitors all high fiving eachother after events.

  • We have fun. The club covers some social events through the year that allows the athletes to bond and build confidence in social settings.

  • We promote life long health. The fundamentals that are gained from this sport can be carried through the athlete’s entire life. We embrace learning about injury prevention, nutrition and mental health.

  • We have cool singlets. A great colour palette and we especially love the dynamic designs for the backs. It is easy to spot a Harrier at various competitions.

What is a Harrier?

"Harrier" comes from “hares and hounds” which were cross-country runs started at English Public (i.e. private) schools. One or two runners (the hares or foxes) would start and would lay a paper trail cross country. The remaining runners would be the hounds who would chase them until they caught them and effected the “kill”.

The oldest official cross-country club in the world is Thames Hares and Hounds, based in London. The paperchase (hares and hounds) dates back to the early 19th century with reports of it taking place at Shrewsbury School in the 1820s. Shrewsbury School is the school which was attended by, among others, Charles Darwin. If you want to follow in the footsteps of other Shrewsbury hares or hounds, fees at the school are about $80,000 a year.