The Captains' guide to 2013-2014 XC
It’s nearly time to dust off your spikes with the cross country season starting up again this weekend. Striders take part in a number of league and championship events from October till March so to help you understand how and when to take part, your cross country captains have put together this handy guide…
Why do cross country?
- To improve your fitness: Running off-road enhances your stamina and endurance. Tackling uneven surfaces and hills improves your muscle strength and core stability making you fitter and faster.
- Less stress on your joints: Running on a softer surface gives your body a break from the impact of pounding hard surfaces like the road and track.
- It’s scenic: As no course is the same, you could be running round farmland, through forests or pretty parks.
- It’s suitable for all abilities and ages: You don’t have to be super speedy and you don’t need to be able to run a marathon. Distances are usually 4k-8k for women and 8k-12k for men.
- Contribute to the team effort: Just like the Midweek Road Race League, the cross country competitions we compete in are team events. The first to the last scorer all make a difference to where the team finishes.
- Earn club champs points.
- It’s free! Fully-paid up members of the club get free entry into all the league and championship races.
- It’s friendly and fun! The races provide an opportunity to meet your clubmates, get into the team spirit and enjoy racing in the great outdoors.
LEAGUES
The Chiltern League: Comprises clubs from Herts, Beds and Bucks, open to all abilities. Men and women race separately -approx 6k for women and 8k for men. There’s also junior races earlier in the day where St Albans AC athletes compete for Striders. The juniors, men and women’s scores are all combined to reach our league position. Last year we won division two to gain promotion to division one so we would love to do well again this year (division one and two compete in the same race and results are calculated afterwards).
- Where & when: Women’s race starts approx 1.15pm, men’s approx 2pm
- Saturday 19 October, Watford
- Saturday 9 November, Oxford
- Saturday 7 December, Milton Keynes
- Saturday 11 January, Venue TBC
- Saturday 8 February, Wing
- What to do: We need to declare with the organisers who will be running the night before each race. We’ll send an email and post on the message board the week before each race so please let us know then if you intend to run. On the day, collect a number from captains (Ed Blake for the men and Lucy Waterlow for the women). As with the MWRRL, you must keep this number for the whole league. After racing, you won’t be given a finishing position ticket as results will be recorded by the organisers.
- More info: www.chilternccl.co.uk
The Sunday XC League: Slightly lower key league so a good introduction if you have never done cross country before. It’s suitable for all abilities and just like the MWRRL but on off-road courses. Clubs from the local area take part with men and women competing in the same race which is approx 5-6 miles. If you take part in four or more races you will be in with a chance of winning an individual age group prize at the end of the league. Individual trophies are awarded as follows: Senior Men, M40, and M50 - first five places. M60 - first three, M70 - winner. Senior Women, W35, and W45 - first five places. W55 – first three, W65 – winner.
- Where & when: All races start at 10.30am
- Sunday 27 October, Cheshunt
- Sunday 24 November, Grovelands Park, Southgate
- Sunday 8 December, Trent Park, North London
- Sunday 12 January, Royston
Sunday 16 February, Cassiobury Park, Watford
- What to do: We’ll advertise further details on each race in advance. You don’t need to wear a number so just turn up and race. At the finish, you’ll be given a ticket with your finishing position on which should be handed to the captains so they can record the results.
- More info: There’s no official website for the league but rsults and pictures will be posted on www.runherts.com. The Watford Joggers website www.watfordjoggers.org.uk/sundayleague.php also has some good information on the courses.
CHAMPIONSHIP RACES
Herts County XC: Individual and county medals up for grabs here and the chance to qualify to represent Herts in future races. Approx 8k for women and 12k for men.
- Where &when: Sunday 5 January 2014, Watford
- What to do: You must have been born in Herts or have been a resident in the county for at least nine months prior to the race to compete. Captains have to enter teams in advance so look out for details on the message board or via email in order to sign up. On the day, collect your number from captains.
- More details: www.hertscaaa.org.uk
Southern XC Champs: Regional event made up of clubs from the south of England. Approx 8k for women and 15k for men.
- Where &when: Saturday 25 January 2014, Parliament Hill Fields, London
- What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. Look out for posts/emails to sign up nearer the time. The event is chip-timed so you must collect your chip and number from captains on the day.
- More info: www.seaa.org.uk
The National XC Champs: Prestigious and historic event which clubs across England take part in. Approx 8k for women and 12k for men.
- Where & when: Saturday 22rd February 2014, Wollaton Park, Nottingham
- What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. The event is chip-timed so you must collect your chip and number from captains on the day.
- More info: www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk
Other races: There will also be some Vets only championship races (age 35/40 and over for women depending on the event and age 40 and over for men) across the season including the Southern Masters Champs on Saturday 14th December at Biggleswade and Herts County Vet Champs in March (date and venue TBC). You must be pre-entered so look out for email/posts nearer the time.
RELAYS
The St Albans Cross Country relays in Verulamium Park will not be staged this year as the only available date clashed with the Southern Road Relays.
Southern XC Relay: Team event involving clubs from the South. In the past it hasn’t been that well supported by clubs so offers a low key, fun start to the cross country season (and the chance for Striders to try and grab some prizes).
- Teams: Women, 3 x 3k, Men, 4 x 5k
- Where & when: Saturday, 5th October, Wormwood Scrubs. Women start at 2.10pm and men at 2.40pm.
- What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. Sign up now.
National XC Relay: Well-supported national event where clubs from around England compete in teams around a course that’s not challenging and great for spectating.
- Teams: Women, 3 x 3k, men, 4 x 5k
- Where & When: Saturday 2 November, Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Women start at 2.10pm and men at 2.40pm.
- What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. Sign up now.
And finally here’s a list of essentials you will need for cross country racing…
- Striders vest: You must compete in a club vest for all the above events.
- Layers: Wrap up warm with hats, gloves and a waterproof jacket before and after the race. Some courses can be exposed to the elements and races will go ahead come wind, rain or shine (only very heavy snowfall has cancelled races in the past).
- Shoes: Some courses will be suitable for trainers, but if the weather gets wetter and ground gets muddier, trail shoes or spikes are essential. If you only plan to buy one or the other, trail shoes are more flexible as they give good grip in muddy sections but are more comfortable on courses which include harder surfaces such as gravel. Cross country spikes can be bought for around £40 so are well worth having in addition to trail shoes as they give better grip on courses which are entirely grass/mud. Invest in some different length spike pins to insert in them so you can adapt the spike length according to the course (12-15mm best for very muddy courses like Parliament Hill).
- Pins: For attaching your number.
- Change of socks: The socks you run in might get wet and there’s nothing worse than travelling home with stinky, damp feet!
- Wet wipes: Great for wiping all that mud off your legs (and arms and face!). Don’t worry about getting muddy, it’s all part of the fun and it all comes out in the wash!
- Sense of humour!
If you have any further questions about cross country running or want to find out more, contact xc men’s captain Ed Blake at men@stalbansstriders.com or women’s xc captain Lucy Waterlow at ladies@stalbansstriders.com
We hope to see to you at the races,
Lucy and Ed, XC captains
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