Winter Cross Country Series

Berwick Harriers Dunbar RC Gala Harriers Lauderdale Limpers

Moorfoot Runners, Norham RC present the

2008/9

Borders Cross Country Series

While chatting on the beach at Spittal last year, Peter Learmonth pointed out it was 19 years ago when this series first started. Before 1989 there was little winter competition in our area. English NE area held its events at points south of the tyne. So with some sponsorship available from McVitie's the biscuit people Norham RC and Berwick H set up a 6 race XC series (3 each). That first year about 30 runners lined up at the starts

Over the next few years we became a cross-border series with AC Eyemouth and Duns RC joining in, and a fairly faithfull collection of guests from other clubs north and south of the Tweed.

Dunbar RC, Gala H, Lauderdale L, Wooler RC and Moorfoot have all over the years become part of the series and last year we had 224 Senior and 132 Junior competitors from clubs all over the Border area and beyond.

Thanks to all the helpers:- marshalls, recorders, course setters, caterers, red cross and landowners who have all contributed to making this an eventually successful series. Hope to see you in a few weeks for our 20th season.

What better way to blow away those winter cobwebs, than to take part in our Winter Cross Country Series!!

A set of 6 races organized by the above clubs, in and around the Eastern Borders. The races are all about 4 miles for Seniors and 2 miles for Juniors, and feature a wide variety of courses.

Senior courses are proper cross country, REAL country, not tame "several times around the park with an artificial hill". Junior courses are both shorter and a lot less demanding.

Dunbar - Senior Race 2006/7

Dunbar (2006/7) Photoes

Gala Senior Race 2007/8. Just a blur of Ann Wild's out of body experience trying to get out of the water after her early bath

Berwick (2006/7) Photoes

The 2008-9 series event timetable
Sadly Wooler RC are still out, so 6 rounds again. The format of the competition is unchanged
Host Club	Place to meet	OS	Grid Ref	Date
Lauderdale Limpers	Lauder Sports Centre	73	532476	16 November 08
Gala Harriers	Galashiels Swimming Pool	73	488359	30 November 08
Moorfoot Runners	Hay Lodge Park, A72 just West of Peebles	73	243404	14 December 08
Dunbar RC	John Muir Park, West of Dunbar	67	651786	11 January 09
Norham RC	Norham Village Hall	74/75	900472	25 January 09
Berwick Harriers	Spittal Point, Berwick	75	007518	15 February 09

Host Club	Course Description
Norham RC	Soggy (unless frozen), muddy steeply banked valley with several stream crossings, plus fields (hopefully) ploughed.
Berwick Harriers	Dunes and the beach. Peter specified the week for the "right" tide, but whether he's planned for low or high..wait and see.Wet feet if the tide's wrong and a stretch of nice soft sand for the finish.
Lauderdale Limpers,	I'm told the same as last year. Its not called the Southern UPLAND way for nothing. If you're not going up, you're coming back down.
Dunbar RC	Could be forest trails, could be sand, could even be swamp looking at the map. Turns out its all of the above with a lovely river crossing to boot if the tides not quite as high as this year, Water wings recommended.
Moorfoot Runners	Start in the "park" might sound a bit tame, but the rest is good rough stuff. And if you think "park" means "flat"-think again. Oh and water wings may be needed here too.
Gala Harriers	Woodland tracks plus sloping fields on the hillside above the Swimmng Pool. A great little loop near the finish provides an excellent sting in the tail.
Wooler RC used to provide a bleak hill top golf course and a quarry; definitely not fairway and includes plenty of rough. Excellent facilites for apres run too. Please come back in for next year!

Entry
Registration is from 10.30am on the day of the first round, 11.00am for the remaining 5 rounds.
All Junior races start at 11.30, with the Seniors following on when the Juniors clear the course (usually around 12 noon).
The XC Series costs £10 for Seniors and £5 for Juniors, which covers entry to all 6 races. Reduced rates apply once 4 rounds cannot be completed

Age Groups
Junior - U12, U14, U16, U18.
Senior - MS, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60, M65, M70, FS, F35, F40, F45, F50, F55, F60, F65 (provided at least 3 runners enter the category. Otherwise it collapses into the next "harder" one - in fact if 3 M80's or F70's etc enter.......................)

Prizes
A memento to celebrate the 20 years will be awarded to all runners who complete 4 out of the 6 rounds.
Category prizes are awarded on the basis of an individual's total score from their best 4 rounds.
An interclub trophy is awarded on the basis of the best four totals of 3 runners in each round.
The prize giving will be held immediately after last round.

NEW RULE Ties will be separated on the basis of the best position in the last (or failing that latest) round either of the tied runners/clubs competed in

Club Links

Norham RC
Dunbar & Dist RC

Gala Harriers

Lauderdale Limpers

Moorfoot Runners
Wooler RC

Info about Berwick Harriers

AC Eyemouth

OTHER links

Borders Athletics (Professional Games)

Reporting problems:-
	email:- me@richarda.co.uk	phone(evenings):-01890818485