Cross Country

We participate as a club in local Cross-Country race leagues as well as county and national events.  Several members also run in trail races.  Details of the leagues and other fixtures are shown below. For a list of local Trail Race fixtures, please refer to the Essex Trail Events website here.

The club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for varied training sessions listed under Training Times on our Training page or click here.

Cross Country League Fixtures

Our Team Manager is Conor Culham at conorculham@googlemail.com. Please let him know whether you can come to each race. There is a minimum number needed for a team but everyone who turns up can run.  Come and represent your Club at Cross Country over the Winter in our team events but also run in county and other competitions. These races are real team events and by competing you really help your fellow club runners as the scoring system takes into account all runners in the field.  Experience the atmosphere, enjoy the challenge and camaraderie which comes with running in multi terrain in all kinds of weather.

We compete in two leagues:
    Mid Essex League on Sundays for ages 16 and above over courses of approximately 8k
    Essex League on Saturdays for school years 6 & 7 (racing as “Under 13”) and above. Ages 9 & 10 can run but do not score team points. Some races allow under 11s. Distances from 3k up to 8k for senior men.

Age is defined as your age in the summer prior to the cross country season.

Club Vests must be worn at all events. League matches are free to enter and do not require registration but please try and let our team manager Connor Culham know you are coming (his contact details are above). Other events usually require pre-entry and a fee applies.

Here are two excellent videos provided by Stuart Phillips showing virtually the whole of the Senior Men’s race at the Essex League event on 18th December 2021. Near the start and that muddy hill with a sharp bend at the bottom. Warning: the second contains a brief expletive.

Volunteers Please: Races marked *** below are our own and we are in need of volunteers to help marshal. Please contact Connor as above.

Mid-Essex League
  03/12/23 Little Baddow (Little Baddow Ridge Runners)
  17/12/23  Great Dunmow (Grange Farm)
  14/01/24  Danbury (Springfield Striders)
  28/01/24 Rivenhall (Mid Essex Casuals)

Start time 10:30

Essex League
  14/10/23 One Tree Hill (Thurrock AC)
  28/10/23 Gloucester Park Basildon (Basildon AC / Billericay striders)
  04/11/23 Writtle University (Havering AC)
  16/12/23 Hilly Fields Colchester (Colchester Harriers / Colchester & Tendring AC / Boxted Runners
  10/02/24 Hainault Forest, Chigwell (Ilford AC)

The Essex League caters for various age groups with different distances and start times:
   10:30 U13 Boys & Girls 3K
   11:00 U15 Boys & Girls 4K
   11:30 U17/20 Women 5K
   12:00 U17 Men / Senior Women 6K
   12:45 Senior Men 8K

 Other events
   Essex Championships: 07/01/24 Gloucester Park, Basildon

Course maps will be published where known although subject to last minute change due to ground conditions. Details of many of the event venues can be found here. 

A cross country trophy is awarded each year, one to each male and one to each female runner who is considered to have given most commitment to the Club’s programme of league matches. For details please click here.