Cross country is a winter event full of fields, mud and hills and we currently enter the Gloucester Cross Country League which has 4 fixtures through the winter from October to March.  It is one of the few events we enter as a team and the only one as a team for a season in a league.  It is the team element of cross country that makes it so different and enjoyable and where can come together as a club to see how well we can do against other clubs.  We also enter teams into the County Championships.

Fixtures for 2024-25 are as follows:-

12th October	Yate Outdoor Sports Centre	Gloucester League
2nd November	Cirencester Park (new course)	Gloucester League
8th December	University of Bath (inc County Champs)	Gloucester League & County Champs
15th February	Pittville Park, Cheltenham	Gloucester League

And results are posted on the Cross Country Results Pages

Men and women run in separate races in Cross Country.  Men’s races are about 10 kms long and women’s about 6 kms long.  There are also junior races at different age groups for boys and girls so your children can compete as well.

We also run our own club championship, with placings in 3 out of the 4 or 5 fixtures to count, and trophies for the outright winners (men and women) and age-adjusted winners (men and women).

We organise to meet up beforehand so that we can car share  which also makes it a better team event.  We also have a tent which makes an occasional appearance.

The team captains are Jim Godden for the men’s team and Hannah Hamilton for the women’s team.

Gloucester League:-

There are 4 fixtures in the Gloucester League, with clubs involved stretching from Somerset up to the West and East Midlands.  Typical venues for races are Cheltenham, Cotswold Farm Park, Blackbridge in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Wotton-under-Edge.

There are mens’ and women’s senior and veteran’s teams as well as individual scores. The scoring is on a basis of first in gets 1 point so that the low scores are best.  There are 6 in a men’s team and 4 in a men’s veteran team, 3 in a women’s team and 3 in a women’s veteran team.  Men over V65 age are expected to run in the same race as the women and can have a team of 3.  If you fail to field a complete team for any event you are then discounted from the season competition and can only score for the individual fixture so it’s important to keep the teams going.

For individuals it is the best 3 of your scores that count towards the season’s scores and medals are awarded for the first 3 in each category, including 5 year veteran categories.  We often have runners winning individual medals.  It’s a while since we won any team medals although the men’s veteran team did have a period when they finished 2nd and 3rd but we still like to better our local rivals and peer clubs.

In the past we competed in the Gwent Cross Country League for many years and regularly sent teams to the Midland and National Championships, an experience not to be missed.

Gloucester League Team Honours:-

Men:-

Men’s Veteran Team  3rd 1996-7

Men’s Veteran Team  Runners-Up 1998-9

Gwent League Team Honours:-

Men:-

Division 4 Champions 1997-98 (Promoted)

Division 3 Runners-Up 2001-02 (Promoted)

Best Position Division 2  – 3rd in 2012-13, Â 4th in 2002-03, 2004-05, 2008-09

Division 2 Relegated 2015-16

V50 Team 3rd  2006-07

V60 Team Runners-Up  2010-11  3rd  2013-14, 2014-15

Women:-

Division 3 Runners-Up 2005-06 (Promoted)

Division 2 Runners-Up 2009-10 (Promoted)

Best Position Division 1 7th  2010 – 11, 2012 -13

Division 1 Relegated  2014-15