Back by popular demand, the Winter’s Trail returns in November 2018.

For those not yet initiated in the joys of our cross-country league, the idea is to pep up your winter training with a running challenge and see if you can improve over the winter and have a smidgeon of competition with your clubmates into the bargain.

You need to record one time each month (November, December, January and February).  These can be solo, self-timed efforts or you can join up with some clubmates – it’s up to you.

The route has not changed.  Its the undulating and frequently exhausting 10kmoff-road route starting from Old London Road, Towton with about 500ft of climb on a variety of surfaces (mainly different types of mud!).

The route is on Strava and you can get the route by searching “T3 Winter’s Trail” or at https://www.strava.com/segments/10838375.

Any questions on the route, let me know via the Club WhatsApp group but a brief description is at the end of this post.

Whilst the following dates are entirely optional, we do like to get a group together for the first and last run in the series.     The dates for these are as follows:

First run (the “scratch” race): 10am Sunday 25th November 2018.

Last run (the “pursuit” race): [will be a Sunday in February – TBC].

Please put those dates in your diary as the more runners we have in the group, the faster we all tend to run!

On those dates we will meet up at the start  near the Rockingham Arms in Towton.    From the pub car park, take the lane immediately on your left down to the barns.  This is known as “Old London Road” – you can Google it.    The start and finish line is where the tarmac ends and the Battlefield Trail begins.

What you need to do:

Get out there and run the course once (or more) each month (November, December, January and February) and send me your time via the WhatsApp group.   Your first time will act as your baseline for this year’s series.

We will keep a league table and update it on the website each month.    We will post the times for each month and keep a league table on the club website.     The league table works by awarding points each month based on your overall standing in the pecking order but also for improving your time during the series.

For the speedsters out there, there are also points for breaking the Club Course Records (Nik Tarrgea with 41m56s and Glenn Armstrong with 41m20s).

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday 25th November for a  10am start.

Rob

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

The route is made of 2 loops.  From the start on Old London Road, head up the trail on a gentle ascending gradient.  Just after where the track levels out the main trail turns left BUT you continue straight on and duck down a narrow track to Cock Beck. Cross the Beck on the the foot bridge and climb up passing  the quarry and emerge onto the tarmac lane by some concrete blocks.  Turn right to climb up some more to Wingate Hill.  Just after the top, descend a bit and turn sharp left onto Chantry Lane and follow this lane uphill and then downhill to a row of cottages. Take a sharp left in front of the cottages and up a short climb.     Follow the trail and after a straight section you join a  tarmac lane.  Turn left and follow the lane until you get back to the concrete blocks where  you turn right back down to Cock Beck and retrace your route to the  start.     By the time you get back to the start, you’ll be delighted to know that you haven’t finished but need to tackle the second loop.   Continue to the Rockingham Arms, turn right on the pavement, run through Towton and take the first right turn on the B1217.   There is a short section on the road before you join the Battlefield Trail by the fence on the field boundary.  You climb up following the fence line to the Stone Cross (for safety reasons, use the track by the fence and not the road please).  At the Stone Cross, turn right to continue on the marked Battlefield Trail and follow this broad undulating route all the way back to the start/finish.


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