Serpie November activities start off on Friday 1, when the Meal of the Month is being replaced with Hallowe’en drinks – fancy dress optional. Some of the Friday evening revellers and quite a number more will start November off on Saturday 2 with the penultimate club handicap of 2013. The Serpies running the New York marathon on Sunday 3 November will be crossing fingers that the race goes ahead, unlike last year.

There was a great start to this season’s ATW Metropolitan league cross country series last month and the team captains are hoping to keep the momentum going at the second race of the season on Saturday 9 November at Fairlands Valley, Stevenage. Elsewhere, Serpies will be taking part in the winter Ballbuster duathlon at Box Hill and the Sri Chinmoy 10-mile race in Battersea Park. On Sunday 10 November there’s a group of Serpies running the Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes in Nice, while another group are staying a bit closer to home for the Grand Union Canal half marathon.

On Saturday 16 November, the London cross country championships is the first cross country outing of the season at Parliament Hill. Only those who have pre-entered can run, but it’s a great event to spectate at and Serpie marshals are always welcomed by the organisers. The Wildman duathlon on the same day near Aldershot is the first in the popular series of off-road winter duathlons organised by Human Race. On Sunday 17 November there looks like being a big Serpie turnout at the popular and fast St Neots half marathon and a smaller group will be in Spain for the Valencia marathon.

The next pre-entry only cross country championship of the 2013/4 season is on Saturday 23 November: the North London cross country championships in Mad Bess Woods, Ruislip. And for those who didn’t pre-enter but still want to race cross country, there’s a Sunday League cross country race at Southgate on Sunday 24 November. This event is being put on by Serpentine, so helpers are needed as well as runners. Sunday is also the date for the Florence marathon and two popular trail races: the Bath Hilly Half and the Gatliff – the famous mud-fest from Edenbridge in Kent with a choice of 20k, 35k or 50k routes.

Monday 25 November is the deadline for submitting Serpie entries for the SEAA Masters cross country, which will take place at Shuttleworth Park, Biggleswade on Saturday, 14 December. The penultimate 2013 Last Friday of the Month 5k will be on Friday 29 November and with the Winter Wonderland in full swing in Hyde Park, we’ll need lots of helpers to make sure the race goes well

On the last weekend of November, there’s the Sri Chinmoy 10k in Battersea Park on Saturday 30 November and a novice-friendly Serpie trail run with a choice of distances, venue to be decided.

Also to look out for in November will be the start of sales of the Serpie Christmas Party tickets – the party will be on Saturday 14 December – and the opening of bookings for the National cross country championships overnight trip to Nottingham (on 22 February 2014).

There’s more information about lots of these events on the Serpie events planner.

Sally Hodge
communications@serpentine.org.uk