Hi everyone
Buckle up! It’s a long read but worth it…
We are really glad to let you know that we now have a calendar of road races to see us through to November this year.
They are live on the website now – https://niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk/club-championship-2021/ it will be easier to read and enter the race in the calendar view here – https://niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk/events/ .
There may still be a few changes in terms of races being added as they come on or removed if they don’t, but it is a great start. Talking to some of the organisers over the last week or so, there is a real optimism amongst them and it’s brilliant to be able to share that with you and support the races as much as we can.
New for this season…
Goal Races
These races are new to our calendar. Deliberately included to offer the chance to take part in bigger events with great atmosphere and excitement, they tend to be fast courses and on dates with enough time to sensibly train up for the distances following a plan over a series of weeks (so if you want to go for a PB this is a great chance).
We hope to revive the inclusive feel of the club for members of ALL running abilities by offering these races as a shared goal, hence the name.
In the lead up to these races we will offer a training plan, kindly designed by Coach Emma, with club intervals and run sessions included.
Goal races are totally optional but will offer a great opportunity to form bonds and friendships whilst training and improving, no matter what pace you want to run at. They are highlighted on the calendar but here for you too if you want to get involved straight away!
The York 10k (1st August) and the York 10 mile (17th October). The 10 mile is the same day as the Yorkshire marathon at the same location so we can all support each other.
*Please note – only 1 goal race will count towards your participation badge.
Only FIVE races needed to qualify
You only need to take part in 5 races this year (usually 7) to qualify for your participation badge. As above, the maximum number of goal races allowed to count for the participation badge is 1. Similarly only your fastest marathon time will count for your participation badge. This is to discourage over training. You can do 5 other races of any distance and not do a goal race or a marathon at all to qualify.
Cost of racing
As we have included the goal races which can be expensive, we have balanced this out where possible and carefully included local races who may have carried over entries from last year – Fountains 10k and Burton Leonard are doing this, check if you have already entered and forgotten so you don’t pay twice! There are parkruns on the list too, which are free, as is the virtual Melmerby race and we hope to add a couple of York 5k series dates when they are released which are inexpensive.
Marathon Challenge
This counts as a qualifier for the road racing championships and as a separate competition too – one for those who love a longer distance. Enter your fastest certified marathon course chip time, run in person, between now and the 21st November 2021 to be in with a chance to win. Full details will be on the website.
Other Racing news:
Fell Championships
Phil Robinson is working on putting together a Fell Championship series as we speak which we expect to run in the later half of the year. Keep your eyes open for that.
Supporting local
We continue where possible to support local races, these often are not PB courses but in adding these to the calendar and championships we support local schools, charities and of course other local running clubs who have all had a tough time over the last year. We have included more details on the calendar. These races are great fun, we bond over the tough terrains and the huge hills but we all finish with a smile and cheer in our teammates.
Finally, please do enter the races you want to do quickly, we anticipate a great demand for racing this year and places will sell out fast.
We look forward to a fantastic season of training and racing as a team in our beloved black and gold.
Stay safe and keep running!
Sarah S and Kevin