The T3 Winter Trail Running Series

Back by popular demand (or at least in the absence of anyone trying to stop me), the trail running league will be starting up again in November.    Over 5 months, you will battle the elements around Towton Moor as you look to improve your running base with a tempo run session sprinkled generously with hill intervals.

What is the format?

The league will kick off with a “scratch race” in November to record a baseline time for everyone (including a new 2016 time for those who ran last year).

Then, in December, January and February, you can send in your best timed run on the route for each month. Its up to you when you do those runs so you can fit into your busy schedule as and when possible.

Things finish in March with another group run (date to be confirmed). The last run in March has a different format and is set up as a pursuit race.

The First Run

We will kick things off with a “Scratch Race”.   For those who can make it, this will happen at 10am on Sunday, 6th November 2016.  Meet outside the Rockingham Arms, Towton.     If you don’t know the route, might be good to attend this one.

If you can’t make the Scratch Race, no problem. Just send in a self-timed effort on the route by the end of November via the Club’s “WhatsApp” group.

The Route 

It’s a 10km route around the same course as last year.   90-odd % is off road.   There is a Northern loop on goodish hard trails and a Southern loop on sort-of-goodish grassy trails. Linking the two bits together is a narrow, fairly steep and technical section around the Cock Beck valley where your pacing and technique can be err…developed!

After 5 months of this you’ll be ready to rip into any 10k triathlon run when the season starts again.

FULL ROUTE DETAILS BELOW.

Scoring

It will work on these lines:

(1) Participation

5 points will be scored for each run recorded in the series.

(2) Position

Each month the times will be put into order. The fastest runner is awarded 20 points, the second 19 and so on.

(3) Bonus points

From December onwards, a runner can gain up to an additional 10 points each month if they better their previous Seasons’s Personal Best in the Series (PB).

PB bonus points are allocated on a sliding scale according to how much you exceed your previous PB time. Slightly revised for this year but, basically, you get 1 point for every 10 seconds you take off your PB up to a maximum of 10 points.

(4) The March Grand Final

If you turn up on the day, double points available for this last race.

(5) Star Baker

Anyone setting new course records will get a bonus too.

Women’s CR: Jo D: 49m16s
Men’s CR: Glenn A: 41m54s (2s ahead of Dave B….just saying)

Details of the Route:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/10975867

Or

https://www.strava.com/segments/10838375

Or

Very Long-Winded Route Description:

Take the Old London Road from Towton (tarmac track down the side of the Rockingham Arms) (West) past a few houses to the farm buildings on your left.

The official route start and finish point is straight ahead where the tarmac ends and the mud begins!

HEAD STRAIGHT ON up the track.

After ~ 100m, the track turns right and up a short climb to a Battlefield information board CONTINUE STRAIGHT ON up the incline until it levels off.   (DO NOT TURN LEFT past the metal gate onto the main battlefield trail).

Follow the track as it narrows to a single-file muddy track and descends down to Cock Beck.   It can get very muddy here.

Cross over Cock Beck (there is a bridge!) and head straight up the hill on the track. Continue STRAIGHT up the track and join the tarmac road at some stone blocks. TURN RIGHT and continue to head up the road to Wingate Hill. This is by far the longest climb on the route and can seem a long, long drag if you set off too fast.

Just after you crest the hill, TURN LEFT at the junction and join the wide track that is  Chantry Lane and continue up a slight rise. [If you are descending a hill, you’ve missed the turning]

The trail levels off and then descends to pass a wood on your right and then continue down to a couple of cottages on the left. Take the left turn just before the cottages and head uphill following the track as its twists and turns.   It levels off and runs straight until it meets a tarmac section again.    TURN LEFT on a slight descent until you see the stone blocks again.  TURN RIGHT and re-trace your steps back down to Cock Beck. Watch your footing again !

Cross the bridge and climb back up the narrow trail and re-trace your steps back across the START LINE.   HALF WAY! Continue on to the Rockingham Arms (stopping for a pint seems like a good idea here but better afterwards!). TURN RIGHT and run along the narrow pavement in front of the pub.

Continue on the pavement through Towton and TURN FIRST RIGHT onto the B1217. Keep right, take care and watch for oncoming traffic.

At the corner of the first field on your right, join the grassy trail that runs parallel to the fence and follow this uphill to the layby and the stone “Battlefield Cross” by another information board.

TURN RIGHT to join a broad track along the Battlefield Trail and now follow this broad undulating track for ~ 2km as it loops you back around to Towton. You will pass more information boards about the Battle of Towton as the trail keeps to the edge of the moor. Eventually the track takes you back to that large metal gate you saw early on in the run. TURN RIGHT at the gate and and re-trace your steps back to the finish at the end of the muddy track.

Well done !   Don’t forget to STOP your watch.

Rob (v1 – 12th Oct 2016)