As a club we actively encourage participation in Cross Country and consider the Harrier League to be highlight of our running calendar.
Heaton Harriers are members of the Start Fitness Harrier League which is made up of all England Athletics Associated clubs across Tyneside, County Durham and Northumberland. The season runs from September to March with usually 7 fixtures falling on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at various locations across the region during that time.
The afternoon is made of several races from various age groups for the juniors and concludes with separate male and female races. All races have varying distances but generally happen on the same course. Below is the general timetable of events but please do consult with the Harrier League website or Facebook pages before each event for exact timings and logistics.
Spikes are optional but sometimes a good pair of trail shoes are recommended, however everyone has their preference. Always run to the conditions. There may be mud!
As a club we pay for all members who wish to run and compete at cross country. This is paid for from wihin your annual membership fee. If you want to signup mid-season please let the club captains know and they can arrange for this to happen. You will receive a number/bib for the season at your first fixture so please do not loose it as you will have to pay for a replacement.
This seasons Harrier League Cross Country fixtures are:
- Saturday 23rd September 2023 – Wrekenton
- Sunday 15th October 2023 – Druridge Bay
Saturday 28th October 2023–Lambton Estate(Postponed)- Saturday 25th November 2023 – Aykley Heads, Durham
- Saturday 6th January 2024 – Sherman Cup/Davison Shield, Temple Park, South Shields
Saturday 10th February 2024 – Thornley Hall Farm, Peterlee(Postponed)- Saturday 2nd March 2024 – Alnwick Castle
Sunday 17th March 2024 – Lambton Estate (Rescheduled)CancelledSaturday 13th April 2024 – Thornley Hall Farm, Peterlee (Rescheduled)Cancelled
Participating in a cross country season has its benefits. Most members find that their 5k to 10k times improve in the spring as a consequence. The day is also a great way to meet new people from the club and there is usually cake afterwards!
12.00 Under 11 Boys
12.05 Under 11 Girls
12.15 Under 17 men
12.20 U17 and U20 women
12.35 Under 15 Boys
12.40 Under 15 Girls
12:50 Under 13 boys
12:55 Under 13 girls
13.05 Senior & veteran women
13:50 Senior & veteran Men
All fixtures and races with the exception of the Sherman Cup/Davison Shield are handicap based. Each runner will start the race in either the slow pack, medium pack or fast pack (if you have not ran a Cross Country before you will always start in the slow pack) All runners run the same race with each pack going off in 2 minute intervals starting with the slow pack. The top 10% of runners from the slow and medium packs are promoted to the next pack for the next fixtures that season with packs transferred over to the following season. It is a team event with the first 6 counters counting as a team for men and first 4 counters for women, however all runners make a difference as you could be blocking other teams from finishing higher up in their teams so they get fewer points that round.
There is a league system for clubs with promotion and relegation on the cards so full teams are required at each event. There will be a club tent available on the day to leave bags in and we do ask you help with the erecting and taking down of the tent at each fixture.
Distances vary and are usually based on laps (eg Women run a 2 lap course and Men run a 3 lap course) Exact details can be found on the Harrier League website
There will be car sharing options available closer to the fixture so watch out for messages on the private Facebook or Spond groups.
We ask you to make a conscious effort to attend the Cross Country events, represent the club and to have fun. Remember to wear your Heaton Harriers white club vest with your number/bib pinned to it. You may be disqualified if you wear the wrong bib or vest.
There are other Cross Country events across the year which Heaton Harriers participate in from a regional to national basis.
- Saturday 21st October 2023 – Northern Athletics XC Relays
- Saturday 4th November 2023 – ECCA XC Relays
- Saturday 18th November 2023 – NECAA XC Relays
- Saturday 9th December 2023 – NECAA XC Championships
- Saturday 27th January 2024 – Northern XC Championships
- Saturday 3rd February 2024 – NEMAA XC Championships
- Saturday 24th February 2024 – English National XC Championships
- Saturday 9th March 2024 – Intercounties XC Championships
- Saturday 16th March 2024 – English Schools