Elvet Striders

What is the Elvet Striders Grand Prix?

The Elvet Striders Grand Prix (GP) is an annual competition for club members that covers a range of different races. The GP is a long tradition in the club, and is a fantastic opportunity to participate in events with other Striders, and try types of event that you haven’t done before. It’s actually two competitions, as men’s and women’s results are treated entirely separately. 

It is made up of 30 races in total in five general categories: Cross-country (XC), Endurance, Sprint, Fell (six races each), and Trail (four races, in this introductory year, with an aspiration to expand in future years).

The Grand Prix includes races which may be commercial enterprises, club races, or races organised by local communities, often in aid of charitable concerns.

The GP season will begin on Monday 2nd October 2023, and will end on Friday 4th October 2024. However, to ensure that all the Northeast Harrier League fixtures are all included, the Wrekenton NEHL race on Saturday 23rd September 2023 will be carried into the 2023-24 season. Ages for the age-based prizes will therefore be calculated at 23rd September 2023.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded at the end of the season. There are quite a number of them, 20 in all. They are, firstly, a series of age-graded prizes, for each gender:

• Senior. Under 40, named MSen and WSen.
• O40. 40 to 49, named MO40 and WO40.
• O50. 50 to 59, named MO50 and WO50.
• O60. 60 to 69, named MO60 and WO60.
• O70. 70 and over, MO70 and WO70.

Secondly, there are prizes for each category. So for each gender, there are:

• Cross-country, named MXC and WXC.
• Endurance, named MEndurance and WEndurance.
• Sprint, named MSprint and WSprint.
• Fell, named MFell and WFell.
• Trail, named MTrail and WTrail.

How are the Scores Calculated

Each race is scored separately for each prize. Points are awarded for each applicable prize as follows:

• The leading Strider eligible for that prize will receive 15 points,
• The second runner will receive 14 , 13 for third and so on, all the way down to 1 point.
• Every participating Strider will receive at least one point, even if more than 15 take part.

So, for example, if a female runner aged 55 runs a cross-country race, and is 17th Strider to finish, but 4th Strider between 50 and 59, she will score one point towards the WXC prize, but 12 points towards the WO50 prize.

The points for each prize are accumulated throughout the season, and published frequently. Everyone who competes in a GP race (using their own number, unofficial number swaps will not be included) will see their result in the tables of standings, which show the points accumulated so far, and the individual scores for each race. If you hover the mouse or tap the points score for the race, the actual time will appear as a tool-tip.

Race Categories

Here are descriptions of each race category:

Cross-country (XC)

Cross-country is a racing discipline which takes place during the winter months. The races are generally quite short, approximately 4 miles for women and 6 miles for men (this disparity is frequently a subject of debate). They are run on unmade terrain, mostly grass, though in winter weather after the passing of many feet mud usually dominates. XC has a reputation for being hard work, but it is very rewarding, both in terms of training benefit and sense of achievement.

At cross-country, you get the experience of competing directly for the club; all the GP races are part of inter-club competitions, whether they are league fixtures or a single championship event. The spirit of camaraderie, as well as the sampling of baked goods, makes these events a great day out. Also note that the club pays your entry fee!

The Grand Prix will have five fixtures from the Harrier League, and the Northern Cross-country Championships. The “Northerns” are due to be held in the Northeast this year, though the venue is yet to be announced.

Endurance

The Endurance category this season consists of a number of longer road races, all of which have been popular with Striders over the years. The range of distances is 10 miles through to marathon, with courses of varying hilliness.

Most of these are single races, but there are two exceptions in the Endurance category:

• Rather than include a single marathon in the fixture list, Striders may submit their best time from any other 26.2 mile marathon within the Grand Prix period.
• The Great North Run is included, but due to the difficulty of securing places, Striders who don’t compete in the GNR can submit a time from any other 13.1 mile half-marathon. This does not include the Brass Monkey race, which is on the GP in its own right.

Such results generally need be submitted to the GP by the runner, though more prominent races, e.g. London Marathon, will be included automatically.

This also means that the final points for these two races cannot be calculated until the end of the competition. However, interim results will be published at appropriate times throughout the season.

Sprint

The Sprint category consists of races ranging from 1 mile to 7 miles. It includes road, track and mixed (though firm) terrain races. Again, these races are established club favourites, where a trip to the pub usually follows. All of these races are very local, with three taking place in Durham, two in Newcastle, and one on the coast between South Shields and Sunderland.

Fell

Fell racing is often perceived as difficult and a bit ‘niche’. While it is true that many are serious mountain expeditions, there are loads of fell races which are well within the compass of mere mortal runners.

The races in the Fell category have been chosen from races that are supported and regulated by the Fell Runners Association (FRA). The FRA guarantees that they comply with certain basic standards, and are run on a not-for-profit basis. Fell races tend to be very reasonably priced!

In the words of the FRA, fell running is challenging with some inherent hazards. Self-sufficiently and self-navigation are central to the ethos of fell running and race entrants must be confident they are capable of completing any race they enter. There will be mandatory kit lists for these races.

That said the races have been chosen with the purpose of encouraging Striders to give fell racing a try. Most of them are at the ‘easier’ end of the fell running spectrum, and are great opportunities to combine an enjoyable day in the countryside with a race.

In the fixture list, the FRA classification for the the races is shown, which gives a guide to how hard the race might be. Firstly by the amount of climb and descent, relative to the length of the race. This is therefore a measure of the overall steepness of the race. ‘A’ indicates the steepest, through ‘B’ to ‘C’ for the least steep. Secondly, by length:

• S for short – less than 10km,
• M for medium – between 10 and 20km,
• L for long – over 20km.

So an AL race is both long and steep, whereas CS is short and over shallower gradients. The GP does not contain an AL race!

The approximate race distance and ascent are also shown in the fixture list.

Anyone wishing to enter any of the races, but with doubts about their capabilities for completing the race, may consult the FRA website or Geoff Davis (Fell & Mountain Running Coach) for advice. Many other Striders have experience on the fells, and will be glad to help.

Trail

For the first time, the Grand Prix has a specific category for Trail races. There are four races in the category, but it is hoped to increase this to six in future seasons.

Trail racing is all about getting away from roads and running on a great variety of terrain, on an ‘as you find it basis’. They are often hilly, sometimes navigation skills are required, and mandatory kit may be stipulated by the organisers. In addition to providing a great running challenge, they often take place in scenic areas.

The four selected races range from 5.2 miles to 23 miles. The terrain is very varied, and as they are spread across the whole year, the weather is likely to be varied too.

Current Standings

See this page for the standings for 2023-2024.

Marathon and Half-marathon Results

See this page for qualifying results in marathons and half-marathons.

Fixture List

This is the full fixture list for the season. In many cases, the race organisers have not yet released full details, so the list is subject to change. It will be updated throughout the season as more information becomes available.