Contents
– Booking for March
– Peco Relays
– Peco Awards
– Training for Spring/Summer including at GSAL
– Events for Spring/Summer including Track & Field
– Membership Payments
If you have any comments or questions, please post in the Juniors Facebook Group or email [email protected] . Please don’t reply to the gmail email address as this isn’t monitored.
Booking for March
At time of writing I’d received only 30 booking forms and am expecting 80.
I’d have hoped that more of you, in the last couple of days, would have thought “oh, next week’s training is in a new month, I’d better book the Valley Striders sessions”
If you’re one of the 50 that hasn’t yet booked, please use this link https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/booking-junior-training-sessions/
Peco Junior Relays Sunday 10 March at 10a.m. at Bramley Falls Park
This is our final cross-country event of the season. And it’s free to everyone who has already entered the Peco series race (that’s 74 of you).
It’s easiest if I refer you to the page on the Peco XC website https://pecoxc.co.uk/pages/relay.html
Also I’ve created a post in the Juniors Facebook group for you to use for discussion
https://www.facebook.com/groups/369749209844475/posts/2702119229940783/
Ideally (for you and for me) you need to arrange teams of 3 amongst yourselves, ideally (but not necessarily) the same gender and ideally (but not necessarily) of similar ages. Teams of mixed genders and mixed ages are allowed and it’s all for fun anyway, isn’t it?!
When you’ve organised your own team, decide on a team name (all teams should be prefixed “VS” but other than that you can call it what you want), decide on a running order, and make the entry https://racebest.com/races/ygt83 (NB you will need to know the bib numbers of all members of your team)
If you are 2 looking for 1 more or 1 looking for 2 more then reply to the Facebook post and see if someone will join you.
The closing date is Friday 8 March at 10am, but if you are looking for team-mates, please request arrange by Wednesday 10pm. After that time I will create teams amongst all the unmatched runners.
All the on-the-day arrangements will be published later.
NB if you’ve lost your Peco race number, you’ll be able to get a replacement on the day.
Peco Awards
These will be presented after the junior relays, probably just after the adult relays start at 11a.m.
There will be awards for the first 4 in each age category. We have 4 of our members to collect awards. Congratulations to Alice Hirst-Sewell (4th G3-4), Levi Woodger (3rd B3-4), Imogen Burton (3rd G5-6) and Isla Butterworth (3rd G7-8).
Also congratulations to 14 junior Striders – Ella Shanks, Ruby Wilson, Levi Woodger, Samuel Mclarkey, Nye Mason, Jonah Steere, Imogen Burton, Emilia Deverill, Abigail Bottomley, Niamh Archbold, Harry Ndawula, Caitlyn Hartley, Mary Venning, Soren Pailor – who ran all 5 races and therefore have been awarded mementos. I don’t think they will be presented next Sunday but I will bring them (whatever they are, rumoured to be a hat) to the next training session at Leos.
Training in spring/summer including at GSAL
From the beginning of April until the middle of September, we will generally be alternating training sessions between Leos and GSAL. There will be one Tuesday in July at Golden Acre Park for a relay competition and possibly 2 or 3 sessions at the Bodington/Brownlee Cycle Track (running, not cycling!)
Please see https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/juniors-training-at-gsal-2024/ for arrangements and proposed dates for the sessions at GSAL. Please note the new safety arrangements around the building works that are taking place – if we contravene these, the first session may be our last.
Competition in spring/summer including Track & Field meetings
Last summer, 20 junior Striders competed in at least one track and field meeting. All of these did at least one track event – a sprint (80m/100m/200m) and/or middle distance (600m/800m). And more than half did at least one field event – long jump and/or shot put.
There have been a few indoor meetings during the winter but the outdoor season starts in April and I’ve recommended two meetings that you might like to try – at York on 14 April and at Cleckheaton on 21 April. The Cleckheaton meeting is one of a series of seven. There are several meetings at York but they are separate, not part of a series. The minimum age is school year 4.
This spring/summer I have planned 12 sessions on the athletics track at GSAL where we also have 2 long jump pits and 2 shot circles available to us. The first date is 2 April which lets us practice before entering the two recommended meetings. The second date is 16 April but I may switch to 9th so we have two sessions of practice before York.
Other big events during summer are the Eccup Junior Races (22 junior Striders last year) and the Golden Acre Relay Race (77 junior Striders last year)
Here’s the link to the calendar for spring and summer events
https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/events-for-juniors-spring-summer-2024/ .
Membership payments and renewals
124 juniors have paid membership for 2024 and this includes everyone who has taken part in any training session this year … other than 3 trialists who had their first session 2 weeks ago. Many thanks to all of you for your prompt payments.
- If you were a member last year and you’ve not yet paid but want to renew, please see https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/junior-membership-renewals-rates-and-discounts-january-2024/ for how much to pay and how to pay
- If you were a member last year but don’t want to renew, please email [email protected] to let us know
- If you were a member last year and aren’t sure whether you’ve renewed please see https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/members-area/club-information/membership-list/
- If you’re not yet a member, please wait … or email [email protected] to enquire about your status on the waiting list.
Bob