We actively encourage juniors to take part in races in order get the best out of their running.
Having a competitive focus helps to keep youngsters in the sport in the longer term – and is fun !
There are plenty of opportunities for junior members to take part in races – both fell and cross-country.
KENDAL WINTER LEAGUE 2018
The fixture dates for the 2018 Kendal Winter league are likely to be announced in early December. The fixtures are likely to follow a similar sequence to 2017 however. The 2017 information is as below….
KENDAL WINTER LEAGUE 2017
This fell-running league is open to ALL JUNIORS AGED 8 or ABOVE.
or here they are in brief (ALL SUNDAYS)
8 JAN – SCOUT SCAR
15 JAN – NO FIXTURE
22 JAN – GIGGLESWICK
29 JAN – WHITESTONE
5 FEB – BIRKRIGG COMMON
12 FEB – BARBONDALE
19 FEB – CUNSWICK
26 FEB – SEDBERGH SCHOOL
5 MAR – CAUTLEY SPOUT
12 MAR – HELM HILL
19 MAR – LONGSLEDDALE (TBC)
26 MAR – NO FIXTURE
2 APR – ELTERWATER COMMON
30 APR – ARANT HAW (NON-SCORING RACES & PRIZE PRESENTATIONS AFTER)
There is no fixture on Sunday 15th January but the Giggleswick fixture (where we hope to get at least 50 of our juniors running) is on Sunday 22nd January.
We hope that lots of juniors will be taking part in the league once again and that many who have not taken part before will give it a try this winter.
The league is open to ALL JUNIORS AGED 8 or ABOVE. No previous race experience is required.
Go to http://www.helmhill.co.uk/index.php/scout-scar for more info on the course.
Go to http://www.helmhill.co.uk/index.php/races for general information, course maps, travel info and registration forms that you can fill out and bring along to the first race (this will save time on the day).
For the benefit of those parents who are not familiar with this League, here is a quick resume of what it is and how it works………..
Junior races always start at noon with the Under 13s going off first. It’s best to arrive an hour or so before the start to give you time to find parking, get your child registered and so that your child can get familiar with the course and get “warmed-up” properly. You need to register your child (and pay the £1) at each race. At your first race you attend you will be given a number to retain for the whole series.
Juniors should wear their Settle Harriers vests in the races although they will probably need to wear something under this – either a t-shirt or thermal vest depending on the weather. Please bring warmer clothing for juniors to wear before and after their race. A hot drink for afterwards is also a good idea !
At each race, it will be up to the organisers to decide whether it should be carried and this may depend on the weather conditions on the day. “Kit” for juniors means carrying a WATERPROOF TOP, HAT & GLOVES. It is easiest to carry this in a small “bum bag” or some prefer just to tie it around their waist. If it is very cold or wet, juniors may prefer to wear the extra kit instead – which is fine.
It is best to wear footwear with good grip in these races – fell-running or trail-running shoes are ideal or trainers if they have very good grip.
You can take part in as many or as few of the races as you like. The “league” results for juniors are based on your best 5 races. Awards (decorated thermos mugs last year) are also made at the end of the series to all juniors who complete 5 or more races.
Some of the KWL races will also count towards our Settle Harriers Junior Championships – Giggleswick on 22nd January will be the first of these.
If you need more information, please contact Andy. Hope to see lots of you at Scout Scar, Giggleswick and at the other league fixtures.
As part of the juniors’ continued development, we propose to enter the club once again in the West Yorkshire Cross Country League. Cross country is an excellent way for our youngsters to develop strength and stamina and particularly improve their speed as the courses tend to be faster and less hilly than the fell races they do most of the year. Last year we had 10 juniors taking part and it would be brilliant to see us build on this in the forthcoming season.
There are four league races between October and December, all on Sundays, leading us nicely into the Kendal Winter League (which starts early in January):
Typically, you can expect to travel approx an hour to each venue.
Races are open to athletes aged 9 (on 2nd October 2016) upwards and fall into the following age groups:
For the team competition, the first three athletes home form the scoring team. But the greater the number of participants means that, even if you aren’t in the scoring team, your result still matters as it affects everyone else’s position.
Cost of the entry to the league is £6 per athlete for the U11 to U17 age groups and £12 for the junior age group.
England Athletics (EA) Athlete Affiliation fee In addition to the cost of entering the league, your child must be affiliated to EA. This is an annual cost currently of £13 and covers the year to 31 March next. Our Club Secretary, Chris Beesley, will be dealing with the new EA affiliations with a block payment and will email you separately about payment once I have confirmed those interested in entering the league.
So, if your child is interested in participating in the WYCC league, please could you let me know by Sunday 11 September. Please also could you confirm if your child is already EA affiliated, noting their EA registration number and DOB ( I already hold these details if you have participated in the WYCC before). This will enable us to deal with any EA registrations and the WYCC entry forms by the due dates.
More information, previous results and participating clubs can be found on the website www.westyorkshireathletics.org.uk. Or if you have any other queries about this, just get in touch!
