Friday 24 April 2015

The Run Cross Challenge – Progress Report

Well It’s a few weeks on from the announcement that I was putting on this event. To recap the event is somewhat unique in that it takes a championship track format and puts it onto a cross country course, i.e. there are a series of qualification rounds, followed by a grand final, where the winner takes all. Plus the addition of a prize for the fastest time run during the day. Naturally, nobody wants to go home after one race, so I’ve even catered for that by giving everybody knocked out, on the way to the final, an extra race, to aim for that fastest time. So, as a minimum, for the £6 you get two races.

Things have been coming along nicely but one thing I will say, I now have an appreciation as to why race entries cost so much, it’s because everything you need, in order to put on an event, especially a one time event, costs so much, as an example, my original plan was to organise the event on a trail course, but the cost of hiring toilets would have been astronomical. In order to keep the price down I had to look elsewhere. Luckily I remembered a place from my youth and have found a great course, with toilets included.

The venue is the playing fields at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, with whom I have built a good relationship. The cost of hire includes use of the Leisure Centre toilet and changing facilities, next door. You can see a map of the course here http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/667614846/

I have a UKA permit for the event, 2015050, which means I’m insured, I have a few volunteers, though because one has just moved out of the area I’ll need a couple more. I use the term volunteer loosely as I intend to pay expenses and provide a lunch. This week I managed to get an agreement to borrow some fence posts, to mark out the course, from Vale Royal AC, so thanks to them, also thanks to John Lloyd of Cannonball Events, who also offered to loan me some. A tent and other support comes from Bill Bradley, best known for being a run director at Pennington Flash Parkrun, and also organiser of the Flash In The Park event, which takes place on 21 June. The only things I really need to organise are tape, numbers, pins and a few other ancillary items, essentially I’m good to go.

I’m quite excited about the event, it’s a great course, I wish I could actually run it, but I’ll be too busy, now all we need is runners to understand the concept and buy into it by entering. I’ve set the event limit at 300 (which doesn’t mean 150 male and 150 female, it’s whoever enters first).

Then there is the little matter of prizes. Well, I know this won’t suit everyone but there are no medals for completing an 800m course. I currently have a cash prize fund of £60, which will go towards the prizes for first male and female and fastest male and female. I’d like to make larger awards, or spread out the prizes, but this will be dependent on number of entries. Though for me, just taking part would have been enough, getting into the 2nd round would have been great, making the semi’s fantastic and making the final, beyond belief. How far can you go?

Here’s hoping we have a great day’s racing and everybody has fun. All details will be updated on the facebook page Alsop Events and I’ll also keep things up to date on www.rogeralsop.co.uk/events Entry forms can also be found at those two places, plus Northern Runners Guide online listings and Runners World online listings. Hope to see you there on 31 May.

Written by Roger Alsop
www.rogeralsop.co.uk

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