Information for GLCL XC Race 5 of 5, Sunday 10th March 2019, Hosted by Caerleon Running Club.

Information for the 5th and final race of the 2018/19 GLCL XC Series, Sunday 10th March 2019, hosted by Caerleon Running Club at The Glebelands, St.Julians, Newport.
Thank you Gareth Howells, Caerleon Running Club, for providing this information.

Information for GLCL XC Race 4, Sunday 3rd February 2019, Hosted by Usk Runners.

Usk Runners are hosting the Gwent Leisure Centre League Cross Country Race on Sunday 3rd  February 2019 at 11am. Parking at Usk County Hall, A472.

Below you will find all the information you need for the race.

Usk Runners Cross Country Briefing.

Location- Usk County Hall and agricultural land behind Colleg Gwent in the vicinity of Rhdyr Bridge and the dismantled railway line running alongside the A472 in the direction of Pontypool.

Usk Runners are hosting the fourth cross country event of the 2018-19 season. We are sending this information around to all clubs so that it can be circulated to members.

This is the third consecutive year we have hosted the event at Usk College Farm and we hope it will be as successful as our first year in 2016 .  It is challenging but suitable to runners of most levels. There are areas of extended ascent and descent as well as a long, flat intervals.

1st Aid will be provided by St Johns Ambulance. There will not be any post race refreshments provided. Runners should bring their own fluid to consume in the college grounds on the opposite side of the road by the parking area  but are requested not to bring this on to the farm itself due to hygiene regulations.

 

Start of race

The race will start on a dismantled railway line accessed via Colleg Gwent farm which is located alongside  the Pontypool bound carriageway of the A472. The land is entirely private, owned by Colleg Gwent. The route includes a dismantled railway, Rhydr Bridge, hills and a wooded area in the vicinity of Berthin Brook and Coed-y-Bristley. High pasture land dominates the route. Stewards will direct you to the start.

The start and finish will be on the dismantled railway line in the vicinity of the college farm.

The Route

Spikes are suitable for this route  – unless the conditions are unusually dry exposing a hard surface to the disused railway track. Spikes need to  be carried across the hard courtyard surfaces of the farm/college/road and put on at the start.     

The course will be run over laps of approximately 1.7 miles with men and women completing 3 laps.  Although the route is mainly agricultural land it is considerably diverse in elevation and type. A dismantled railway line, fallow fields, woods and high pasture give this route a stunning  visual panorama as well as  constantly changing terrain underfoot.

The start of the course will consist of several hundreds of metres of flat, dismantled railway line. The ground is very likely to be muddy. The route crosses through a gate into what appears to be a fallow field with a pond at its centre. The route will take the runners along the edge of the field well away from the pond.      The runners will be taken to a small wood and there begins the elevated section. Undergrowth through the wood will be cut back and hazards either removed or indicated. Tape and stewards will point out the route. The route climbs steeply through the wood and enters pasture land that may contain sheep. Runners should run alongside hedgerows  until the top of the field where they will be directed through a gate. Here the land flattens out before descending back to the dismantled railway line via the nearside fence before finishing near the starting line.  Stewards will be present throughout the route to highlight perceived hazards and direct runners.

The initial section of the race is long, straight and flat- but only narrow road width. Faster runners should access the front and slower runners the rear.  This should encourage runners to stretch out. Once clear of the railway line, apart from the wood where stewards will be present  the route is almost entirely visible to observers situated on the high pasture.  This area is readily accessed via a dirt track from the college farm and would be a good vantage point for St Johns ambulance personnel, subject to conditions and preference. (see course map)

Parking

Parking is located at the new Monmouthshire County Hall in Usk. The car park should be able to accommodate a large number of vehicles but runners are encouraged to car share. The post code for Satnav users is NP15 1GA. This is a new postcode so if you have an old Satnav use the college code of NP15 1XJ. (see location map)

Changing facilities and refreshments

Toilet facilities are available on the farm;  no refreshments are provided for runners. Runners should change in the car park and are encouraged to follow the directions of stewards to cross the road at the pelican crossing opposite the college farm.

Caution

A final word of caution. The college farm has generously lent us their facilities and land and it is Usk Runners’ wish that we treat their property with due care. We do want to use their facilities in the future. I would ask that all participants and observers treat the college facilities and surrounding farm land with respect.  Please do not bring dogs to this event. The farm yard contains cows in the barns and sheep are on the pastureland.  Unfortunately there is no scope for GLCL runners to run the course beforehand – but most will now be familiar with the venue.

Please read risk assessment.

Information for GLCL 2018/19 XC Series Race 3, hosted by Spirit of Monmouth Running Club, Sun. 6th Jan. 2019.

Thanks Emma King and everyone at Spirit of Monmouth for this information :

GLCL XC Series: Fixture 3 of 5

11am 6th January 2019 Humble By Nature, Penallt, Nr Monmouth, NP25 4RP

Spirit Of Monmouth Running Club would like to welcome you to the third fixture of the 2018/19 XC series, at Humble By Nature Farm, Penallt. A fantastic varied terrain cross country course featuring hills, grass, mud and technical woodland sections, a few miles outside Monmouth.

Race start time 11am

Senior Men and Senior Women – 2 laps x approx 2.35m and total distance is 4.8m approx

PARKING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED AT HUMBLE BY NATURE IT IS CRITICAL THAT RUNNERS CAR SHARE AND IF THE WEATHER HAS BEEN BAD PARKING WILL BE LIMITED FURTHER – IF RUNNERS TURN UP WITH ONE PERSON IN A CAR THEY WILL BE ASKED TO PARK IN PENALT VILLAGE OVER A MILE AWAY AND PRIORITY GIVEN TO RUNNERS WHO HAVE FULL CARS

Please note all parking in Monmouth itself on a Sunday is free, runners could opt to meet in Monmouth at the car park close to the Monnow Bridge to lift share from there and then there are plenty of places to go for coffee or lunch afterwards if desired.

As the venue is located in a small village and its continued use relies on the goodwill of the local community we request that all runners park considerately at all times and listen to the marshals.

RACE INFORMATION

Please take time to familiarise yourself with the course there is a map attached.

Headphones : All GLCL races are strictly no headphone events. If you observe any runner wearing headphones of any type, please ask them to remove them or point them out to a marshal. Runners that insist on wearing headphones will be asked to withdraw from the race and their club could be penalised. 

You will be directed to the start by marshals and signs, the race will start around 400m from the farm and will be clearly marked by flags. Runners will follow the boundaries of the fields throughout and will be directed by marshals and stakes/posts. The course is not the same as previous years and has been adapted for the new distance, you will also be running in the opposite direction than before. After the 2 laps, runners will be directed by marshals to make a left-hand turn into the finish funnel at the end of the first field. Once runners have crossed the finish line, they must stay in their finishing order and collect a token from the marshal. Runners are then requested to move away from the finish line promptly to avoid unnecessary congestion. Finish tokens should be given to your team manager who will record your club results.

We request that once runners have finished their run, they do not use the course to warm down, if you wish to warm down please any of the other fields.  We also encourage all runners to support their team mates as they complete the course, but ask that you please stay off the course as you cheer your runners home!

Hazards - The course does contain a number of potential hazards as you would expect at any cross country race, these include, tree roots, rocky ground, tree stumps, branches, bushes, and uneven ground also lots of mole hills. As the course is all grassland, if the weather has been wet prior to race day, the course is likely to be boggy, muddy and slippery in places. Please can all participants to wear appropriate footwear for the nature of the course, it is suitable for spikes.

First Aid - St John Ambulance will be in attendance for the duration of the race.

There will be no water stations available on the course and no water will be provided at the finish. Please bring your own drinks as required. Please ensure that you take all rubbish with you when you leave the venue and respect the farm.

There will be tea and coffee available to purchase from the coffee shop for a small donation.

Toilets -There are very limited toilets available at the venue. Please make use of toilet facilities before arriving and if you meet in Monmouth there are public toilets by the Monnow Bridge.

Please see the attached map for the race route.

Information for GLCL 2018/19 XC Series Race 2, hosted by Griffithstown Harriers, Sun. 18th Nov. 2018.

Information for GLCL 2018/19 XC Series Race 2, hosted by Griffithstown Harriers.

Date : Sun. 18th Nov. 2018.

Venue : Pontnewynydd, Pontypool.

Car parking : Pontnewynydd Cricket Club, NP4 6RP.

Car parking is limited, please car share where possible.

The start/finish is 15 mins., 1/4 mile walk from the car park.

There will be no shelter at the start.

Race starts 11:00 am.

Race distance is approx. 5 miles for all runners on an out and back route over farm land and mountain top.

Showers will be available at the club after the race, teas and coffees will be able to be purchased, also the bar will be open.

See maps for location of car park and run route.

Run route can also be viewed :

https://www.strava.com/activities/780689173

Many thanks Pete Langley, Paul Mason and others at Griffithstown Harriers for providing this information.

Information for GLCL 2018/19 XC Series Race 1, Chepstow, Sun. 21st Oct. 2018

Information for GLCL 2018/19 XC Series Race 1, hosted by Chepstow Harriers.
Date : Sun. 21st Oct. 2018.
Venue : Piercefield Park, Chepstow.
Car parking : Chepstow Leisure Centre, Welsh Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire  NP16 5LR.
Car parking is limited, please car share where possible.
The start is 15 mins. walk from the car park.
There will be no shelter at the start.
GLCL race starts 11:00 am.
Race distance is three laps of 1.65 miles for all male female competitors.
Relatively fast course, over varied terrain.
Chepstow Harriers are also hosting a junior XC race, starting at 10 am.
Please note the junior race is not part of the GLCL Series and is entirely managed and the responsibility of Chepstow Harriers, for further details please contact them.
Many thanks to Andy and everyone at Chepstow Harriers for providing GLCL race information.
There will be a presentation at the leisure centre after the XC race for the winners and runners up of the GLCL 2018 Road Race Series.