YVAA Cross Country Championship

Another great event and the only cross country of the year for many people. The venue changes each year, in recent years we have visited, Hull, Leeds, Wentworth Castle and Sheffield. The 45+ women and M70+ men run 5K and the F35 – 44 women and M35 – 69 men run 10K. We regularly get 30+ runners out for this event so why not have a go, while spikes are great if you have them, studded of road shoes are worn by many or even trail shoes if it is dry. The usual time for this race is a Saturday or Sunday in early March but occasionally we have run it in September. This year the event will be in Beverley on Sunday 12th March. The venue Beverley Race Course.

Event website

YVAA 45^th Cross Country Championships, Sunday 12^th March 2023

Venue: Beverley Racecourse, York Road, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 8QZ. Hosted by: Beverley Athletic Club (permit applied for)

Postcode for Satnav is HU17 8QZ.

Parking: Parking can be found at the racecourse. Coaches: If you are bringing a coach it would help to inform the organiser before the event, so she can advise you on the best place to park.

Registration:  Registration will take place at in reception area of the Owners and Trainers building.  Team managers or a representative from each club should collect envelopes containing numbers and age group categories (to be worn on the back). Registration will open at approx. 10.30 am.  Please make sure your athletes bring enough pins for both race number and age category number.  Bring your own sandwiches and light refreshments.  The start is a short walk of ½ a mile.

Facilities: Toilets are available at the racecourse.  There are outside toilets and indoor toilets available.  If using the indoor facilities, please remove muddy footwear.

Presentations: The presentations will take place reception area of the Owners and Trainers building after the finish of the last race, as soon as the results have been processed.  Please ensure you or another member of your club stays to collect any trophies (individual or team) that may have been won.  Obviously, all data has to be entered, results checked and printed, this will be done as fast as it is humanly possible but will not be instant!  Bring some sandwiches and light refreshments and chat to your fellow competitors about the great or not so great run you’ve just had!

The course: The course below will be used.

One lap is 1.5 miles or 2.5 km. Club tents: An area for club tents is available on the Westwood down near the start/finish line.

Race 1) Start at 12.00 noon: (All F45+, F55+ and F65+ ladies and M70+) 5 km – 2 laps.

Race 2) Start at 1.20 pm approx.: (M50, M55, M60 and M65 and F35 - 44) 10 km – 4 laps.

 Race 3) Start at 1.20 pm approx.: (M35, M40 and M45) 10 km – 4 laps.

 Notes:

1. In order to shorten the ‘event day’ we have once again combined Race 2 and 3 so they will both start at approx. 1.20pm. This saves over an hour on the day.
2. Teams are M35 – 39, M40 – 49, M50 – 59, M60 – 69, M70+, F35 – 44, F45 – 54, F55 – 64 and F65+ but individual trophies are in usual 5-year age groups.
3. An older runner can compete in a younger team e.g., F45 in F35 - 44 team but can only count towards individual trophy if in correct race e.g., F45 in F35 - 44 team would run in Race 2 whereas all other F45’s in Race 1, so couldn’t count in individual F45.

YVAA Awards

Men - 1^st 3 M/35, M/40, M/45, M/50, M/55, M/60, M/65, M/70, M75+

Women - 1^st 3 F35, F/40, F/45, F/50, F/55, F/60, F/65, F/70+

Teams:  3 to score;

Men 35 -39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, 60 - 69, 70 +

Women 35 – 44, 45 – 54, 55- 64 and 65+ (medals for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd teams)

Shields for ‘All to Count’ teams in each team age category.  A minimum of 5 runners needed to qualify in all teams.  Winning team (1^st 3^rd to count) are eligible to win All to Count if they have sufficient entries to qualify.

Numbers/registration (from 10.30 am): To be collected on the day by team managers. Please ensure your runners bring a minimum of 6 pins for numbers/age categories.

NOTE: All runners must wear club vests with age category on the back of their vest.  Failure to do so may result in demotion down the finish list, if a complaint is made to the referee and it is deemed to have a possible effect on placings.

Entry Fee: £6.00 per individual runner.  Cheques payable to Yorkshire Veterans Athletics Association (in full not YVAA).  Contact the YVAA treasurer by email Thomas Sharp thomas.sharp@me.com if you wish to pay by bank transfer.

Entries to:  Rob Kersey, 8 Wellhouses, Cartworth Bank Road, Holmfirth, W Yorks. HD9 2SS, on official entry form (on website at www.yvaa.org  and sent to all clubs by email.  Please enclose SAE if you wish for confirmation that your entries have been received, otherwise Rob will try and send email confirmation if you supply legible email address.

Closing date: Saturday 4^th March 2023.

NOTE: While we will try to be as flexible as possible with late entries we cannot guarantee entries after the closing date.  Clubs must ring or email Rob Kersey, robhh1950@gmail.com, to check it is possible and if agreed ok, must bring a cheque or cash (in an envelope) on the day if it cannot reach him in time by post.

Put this date in your Diaries. We want teams in all age groups from 35 to 70+ male and 35 to 65+ female. We usually get at least 30 Holmfirth Harriers taking part and it is a great team event.

The Vets Secretary, Rob Kersey, will be recruiting runners to take part and entering teams in the new year

Holmfirth Harriers please send your entry details to Rob, no payment as club pays entry (provided you turn up and run).

The 2022 Holmfirth Results are now available for this event in  the Results section of this website and a link to full results can be found here.