Gloucestershire Cross Country League 2023-4

Changes for the new season….

• M35 now a masters running category with medals

• masters teams will include M35's

• Lower age limit raised to nine years old on race day in line with EA guidance on maximum distances in young athletes’ races.

• Season entry available to all runners as well as to clubs using the block booking scheme, more below.

• County Youth Cup to be awarded to the combined U15 boys and girls’ team scores , scoring fewest points over the four races in the season.

• County championship to be incorporated into the second (December) race of the league.

There have been several frustrations as usual in deciding the fixture list leading to some late changes to the original proposals with concerns over fixture congestion, adequate access and car parking and the rising costs of some of the venues.

We have now a fixture list consisting of: 

Round 2 Bath University Sun 10th December (Team Bath) Incorporating County Championships

Round 3 Cotswold Farm Park Sat 6th January (Bourton Road Runners/ NCTR)

Round 4 Pittville Park Cheltenham   Sat 17th February  (Chelt Harriers)

How to enter

1. As an individual on a race-by-race basis, enter on line at Entry Central at £10 senior/masters and £5 per U20 and young athlete (plus £2 surcharge for any non EA registered runner). Collect your bib from registration before each race. Opening a few weeks before each race.  
   
   Entry for the second race at Bath University is now closed.  

   THERE IS NO FACILITY FOR LATE ENTRY OR ON THE DAY ENTRY

    

   
   Entry for the January League race will open shortly on entrycentral.com . 

Note that this is the selection race for the March  Intercounties Cross Country Championship teams. 
The committee decided that the first 6 in each age group including seniors will have automatic selection. This leaves a few places for the selectors to fill after the league race in January.  Any athlete who wishes to be selected but has a good reason for not racing in either or both of the  December or January League races should message, by January 6th 2024, using the form below. 

From the CAU " Each County/District is invited to enter up to 12 athletes per event with 8 to run and 4 only to score for team awards, with the exception of the Senior Men and Senior Women’s races, which shall be 15 to enter, with 9 to run and 6 to score for the team."

Age Groups: For Entries to the CAU:
These are as defined by the U.K.Athletics:

Boys and Girls under 13 years as at Midnight 31^st August/1^st September 2023

Boys and Girls under 15 years as at Midnight 31^st August/1^st September 2023

Men and Women under 17 years as at Midnight 31^st August/1^st September 2023

Men and Women under 20 years as at Midnight 31^st December 2024

Senior Men and Women over 20 years as at Midnight 31^st December 2024

THERE IS NO FACILITY FOR LATE ENTRY OR ON THE DAY ENTRY

County Championships

With the continuing lack of suitable venues, we are holding the championships within a league fixture .

As a similar situation exists in the AAA’s of Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset, who provide many of our league runners, their championships will also be run within the same league fixture.

We are not expecting the fields to be too different to normal as it will generally be the same runners as usual but we will have to identify each runner’s county allegiance in that race with a back letter. So please make sure that any season entries or block entries are filled in with the correct county so that we can distribute the back letters accordingly. (Runners from Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire etc will just be running for league placings so won’t carry a back letter on the day.)

Help

As ever the league relies on a hardy band of administrators and officials, probably less volunteers than one average sized Parkrun attracts, to keep going but we really need more assistance. You can help at one local fixture or over the whole series as you feel able and in a variety of roles. Timing and judging officials can train on the task towards a qualification and will be given light refreshments and free training.

Secretarial roles are also available in registration and in processing results quickly and accurately.

Alternatively, you can volunteer through the race organising clubs and marshal on course or assist with setting up and clearing.

If you can assist get in touch through this page and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Gloucestershire AAA  will  publish your personal Information as part of the results of the events organised by the association and may pass such information to the governing body or any affiliated or associated organisation for the purpose of insurance,first or medical aid, licences (including disciplinary purposes) or for publishing results either for the event alone or combined with or compared to other events. Data may be used to select entrants to represent GAAA and will be shared with organisations arranging those events. Results may include (but not be limited to) name, any club affiliation, race times and age category.