Have you ever wondered how the Grand Prix actually works and how you are placed into the various groups to compete against other members?
Having now taken over from Alan, my plan for the remainder of this year is to learn the ropes, fully understand the current process and get to grips with everything ‘Grand Prix’. I would also like to obtain the thoughts & feelings of our club members.
I’ve set myself a personal goal to enter as many of this year’s Grand Prix events as I can, as I believe in leading by example and really want to fully embrace my new responsibility!
The Grand Prix is a fabulous element of our club, and I’ve hugely enjoyed partaking in it since joining Valley Striders. I’m not intending on making any significant changes, however if I do come across opportunities (e.g., perhaps include some new events?), these will be considered and implemented where practicable.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.
Some early feedback I’ve received from a number of members is there’s a perception that the Grand Prix is not widely understood and is seen as a bit of an ‘enigma’. Yeah, I can see why that might be the case, so I’m also setting myself another goal to try de-mystify the Grand Prix and increase everyone’s awareness, which will hopefully lead to greater participation, by more members.
For this month’s edition of our newsletter, I have provided an introductory explanation in an effort to start to de-mystify the Grand Prix and help explain how you are placed into the various groups.
Please take a look at my article, which has been published on the VS website and can be accessed here:
James’s Grand Prix Update – March 2025 – Edition 1
In the next newsletter I will build upon this introduction and explain more about the seven event categories and how the Grand Prix scoring works across them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the Grand Prix and feel a bit more informed about it. If any of the forthcoming events within the calendar take your fancy, give them a whirl and I’ll see you there!!
All the best,
James
