This post refers to the second race in the Peco XC Series 2022/23, which will be at Templenewsam
The Peco Cross Country League is a series of 5 meetings between November 2022 and March 2023.
- Sunday 27 November – meeting 1 at Middleton Park
- Sunday 18 December – meeting 2 at Templenewsam
- Sunday 22 January 2023 – meeting 3 at West Park / Becketts Park
- Sunday 19 February 2023 – meeting 4 at Middleton Park
- Sunday 5 March 2023 – meeting 5 at Roundhay Park
- also Sunday 26 March 2023 – Peco Cross Country Relays and Juniors Relays at date and venue to be confirmed
(Peco is the name of the main sponsor – the “Printing and Embroidery Company”)
Open to club members school years 2 and older. Also open anyone on the waiting list (you should contact us and then register as a Valley Strider)
Suitable for all abilities. We strongly encourage all junior members to take part and will be slightly disappointed with those who don’t take part in at least one race.
This is a “free” event for V S Junior Full Members and Limited Training Members (i.e. everyone except Social Members) in that those who enter and race will get 20% of the race series fee refunded for every race that they do.
The event is also open to
- V S Junior Social Members
- prospective members
- second claim members (those who’ve moved on to other clubs which aren’t clubs in the Peco League)
- non-members who are sons/daughters of V S adult members
- non-members who are brothers/sisters of V S junior members
- those who don’t come to training
- those who think they’ve resigned this year (their membership is valid till 31/12/22 and happy for them to run Pecos till March 2023)
Distances and start times are approximately one mile (less than a junior parkrun but a bit more muddy) at 10:00am for school years 2 to 6; two miles at 10:20am for school years 7 to 11. NB parents of school years 2 and 3 must be confident that their child can complete the distance e.g. they have done junior parkrun.
Cost is £7 for the whole series (whether you run 1 race or 5).
Entries are online via Racebest https://racebest.com/races/y3hu5
Notes about entries
You can enter on the day, but if you come in the day, you can only enter a single race, not the series. Bear in mind that (a) the cost of entering 2 races on the day is greater than the cost of the series and (b) entries on the day are not shown in the cumulative results.
So please enter in advance! Yes, even if you have a football match this Sunday – it may be cancelled and then you’d be able to come.
Arrangements for Sunday 18 December
Saturday evening
Make sure you have ready your Valley Striders T-shirt or vest, a lightweight under layer, a warm hoodie or similar, your running shoes with a good grip, possibly also lightweight football boots and 4 safety pins. Oh and don’t forget shorts or leggings!
If you don’t have a club T-shirt or vest, I will have some that you can try for size and buy. I will be at registration till at least 9:30, then at the club gazebo.
If you ran in the first race, remember to bring your race number
Calculate your route and journey time to Templenewsam Park.
Sunday morning
Aim to arrive at Templenewsam Park at 9:15-9:20, so you have time to park (there were nearly 300 junior runners at race 1 which equates to 150 or more cars, plus some arriving early for the adult races), walk to the race HQ, then find the club tent, then be ready for a warm-up
Toilets and registration are in the Visitor Centre. You’ll only need to go to registration if you want a club T-shirt (£11, pay later by bank transfer) or if you ran in the first race and have lost your number (£2 cash).
Then head for the club tents (everyone will be going in the same direction)
If you didn’t run race 1, your race number will be at the gazebo. There will be 4 bags of numbers, 1 for boys, 1 for girls and 2 for adults. The race numbers will be in alphabetical order of surname. Look for your surname on a sticky label on the back of the race number. Please please don’t get them out of order.
Pin your race number on the front of your T-shirt or vest.
You can find race route maps here https://pecoxc.co.uk/pages/race2.html
The years 2 – 6 race is two laps, approximately 1.2 miles (2km), starting at 10am. The years 7-11 race is more complicated – approximately 2 miles (3.2km), starting at 10:20am.
Each lap for the year 2-6 race is gently undulating for 1/4 mile followed by a downhill then a longish steady uphill. It is all grass. For years 7-11, I suggest you read the route map page on the pecoxc website
The junior race courses are almost entirely on grass, and unless it is frozen hard, may be suitable for spikes (although the older Juniors will run on a section of hard track)
We hope to arrange a warm-up for year 2-6 juniors for 5 minutes at 09:50. You’ll need to be at the start at about 9:55.
We hope to arrange a warm-up for year 7-11 juniors for 5 minutes at 10:10. You’ll need to be at the start at about 10:15.
Enjoy the run! You are allowed to chat with friends if it helps to keep you going, but be warned that friendship may be put on hold with 50 metres to go.
If you need to go into the Main Stand after the race, please leave muddy shoes outside.
Sunday evening
Remember to keep your race number for subsequent races and definitely don’t wash your T-shirt with the race number pinned to it.
Peco Relays 2023
Just some early information
These are usually held in March and are for teams of 3, approximately 1.2 miles per runner. Keep your number from the Peco series.
This is a “free” event for V S Junior Full Members and Limited Training Members (i.e. everyone except Social Members) in that all race entries will be made by and race fees paid by the club. Excepting that those who do not have a number will have to make a small payment for the number.
More details will be available in February 2023.