Start Fitness Metropolitan Cross Country League match, Saturday 7 November

The second Start Fitness Metropolitan Cross Country League match is on Saturday, 7 November at Fairlands Valley, Stevenage.

Course location

South Side Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage, Herts

Course location from Race HQ: 6 minutes walk

Race HQ

Sailing Centre, Fairlands Valley Park, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG2 0BL

Changing facilities and showers: There are changing facilities and showers at the Sailing Centre but please note that these are only open until 16.30.

Refreshments: You are welcome to use the café at the Sailing Centre to buy tea, coffee and refreshments, but please be considerate to the management and to their potential customers and do not sit in the café for ages without purchasing anything and/or eating your own food!

Tents, gazebos and music: It is a condition of use of this venue that there are no tents or large gazebos erected in the park. Small gazebos will be permitted in the area near the start/finish; although the organisers would prefer no tents to be used so that everyone can be accommodated in the space available. It is also prohibited to play music.

Course description

Multi-lap, on open parkland. Predominantly flat but with a couple of small climbs on each lap. The surface is grassy and soft but not normally muddy.

Spikes or trail shoes best. Road shoes ok for first-timers, as long as there is not too much rain.

Transport

Public transport: Stevenage Station is 1.75 miles from course. Fast rains from Kings Cross run at 22 and 52 minutes past the hour and take 25 minutes for the journey. There are numerous other slower train services. Several buses from Stevenage Bus Station to Shephall (Six Hill Way / Shephall Way), including SB1, SB6, 178.

Many of the Serpie women are planning to take the 11:52am train and are meeting at 11:30am at Kings Cross, in front of the ticket office.

Driving: Leave the A1(M) at Junction 7, A602 to Stevenage. Follow the A602, Broadhall Way to the second roundabout. Turn left onto Monkswood Way and go to next roundabout. Turn right onto Six Hills Way and follow for almost 1 mile. Turn left into Park, signposted Sailing Centre.

Parking: The nearest car park is off Six Hills Way, signposted Sailing Centre. There is another car park off Shephall View, a one-way street accessed from Colestrete. This is only a short walk across the park to the HQ/Start. Colestrete is on the left off Six Hills Way just before you reach the Park. Shephall View is the first turning on the right - go along this road for about 600m and there is a turning on the right signposted for the Scouts Hut/Creche and the car park is straight ahead. There is another car park, a little further away, accessed from Fairlands Way.
Please note: Stevenage Borough FC are playing at home on Saturday afternoon (kick off 3pm), therefore, the car park at the south end of the Park will be very busy.
Also: You must park in the designated car parks (see above) and must certainly not park on the access roads, footpaths or verges within the Park. If you cannot find a parking place in the Park, there is adequate on-street parking in the sorrounding roads. Please do not, however, block drives or otherwise inconvenience the local residents.

Timetable

  • 1.00pm - Under 11s – 1500m
  • 1.15pm - Under 13 boys – 3000m
  • 1.17pm – Under 13 girls – 3000m
  • 1.35pm – U15 boys/17 men – 4000m
  • 1.42pm – U15 girls/U17 women – 4000m
  • 2.00pm – Adult women/U20 women – 6000m
  • 2.35pm – Adult men/U20 men – 8000m

Other information

All entries taken on the day. You do not need to enter in advance.

If you raced at Claybury on 10 October, please remember to bring your race number with you to wear. If you have lost your number, or didn't race at Claybury, you will need to collect your race number from the Serpentine Team Manager.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of your race.

You must run in a Serpentine top. If you do not yet have your Serpentine top, you can exchange your voucher for one in the Kit Room on a Wednesday evenings (between 6.15pm and 6.40pm). If you won't be able to get to the Kit Room before the race, please contact the relevant team captain before 12 noon on Tuesday 3rd November.

Listening devices such as I-Pods are not allowed on safety grounds when competing.

The Serpie post race pub will be the Standard Bearer, 1 The Plaza, Town Square, Stevenage SG1 1PF. Everyone welcome.

Note: there are no toilets at the course.

See the league website for more information

Ideally we need 2-3 Serpie helpers to assist with registering the runners and handing out numbers before the start and helping to record the finishers. If you're coming to support, can you help too? After handing out numbers, there will be plenty of time to cheer the runners on before the first finishers come in and you're needed to help at the finish. If you'll be able to help, please contact one of the team captains to let them know.

Contacts

Women's team captain:
Jo Beak
jobeak@hotmail.com
07966 915 468

On the day:
Sarah Pemberton
sarahlpemberton@gmail.com
07717 824 992

Men's team captain:
Fraser Johnson
fraserjohnson@mac.com
07595 331 720

Submitted: 29 October 2015

Back