After helping to host Race #1 at Fleming Park, Hedgies get their first chance to run in the 2017/18 CC6 league on Sunday the 1st of October. The race starts, as usual, at 9.30am and is hosted by Stubbington Green Runners and Netley Abbey Runners.

The race takes place within Whiteley Pastures and Botley Wood and is an undulating course approx. 4.3 miles long. The anti- clockwise figure of 8 route (small loop then larger loop) starts with a climb uphill and  is a mix of gravel track and technical single track rutted paths. We can almost certainly guarantee an element of mud at some point with tree roots and logs to negotiate along the way. A link to a map of the course is here... 2017 CC6 – SGR Whiteley – Route
The woods are still open to the public and their dogs so please be mindful of others wanting to enjoy the woodlands.
There is plenty of free parking (and coffee shops) at Whiteley Shopping Centre and the postcode for your sat nav is PO15 7PD. Marshalls on the day, positioned near the Whiteley Way roundabout, will direct you to the start line which is a 5 -10 minute walk from the shopping centre.
Please be advised the only public toilets available are within the shopping centre – the main ones are by ‘Next’.
We have listened to your feedback and you will be pleased to know that the course starts AND finishes on the main track – no last minute narrow tight turns this year!
When you have revelled in the glory of the finish, enjoy a cake with us at the end supplied by the budding bakers of SGR & Netley Abbey.
Look forward to seeing you all. Enjoy the season!
Sadie (Stubbington Green Runners)

What : Southern Cross Country League - Race 1
When: Sunday 6th October 2017 @ 11.00am
Where: Pamber Forest, Basingstoke

Pamber Forest: Basingstoke and Mid-Hants Athletic Club invite you to Pamber Forest (the Start is grid reference SU 612 618), a 479-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest, a few miles north of Basingstoke, near Tadley off the A340. The race will be a single lap through forest and fields along undulating tracks and footpaths.
It will start at 11:00am; distance 5 miles.

Race Parking: Following an issue with street parking in 2016, we have organised additional off-street parking in 2017. Please arrive a bit earlier and aim for the car park on the John Stacey land (also used by a small Sunday market) that is shortly before the Pamber Heath Road turning. The walk to the Start is 1150 metres, so please allow 20 minutes (or less if jogging!). Parking is also available in the Memorial Hall car park (the walk to the start is 600 metres – 11 minutes) prioritised for runners with families/children or club-reps carrying tents, flags, etc. We have agreed with John Stacey that we will offer a charity contribution to Basingstoke Hospice, so a suggested donation of £1 per parked car will be greatly appreciated. We would also appreciate a similar donation at the Memorial Hall car park, thank you, it’s a very good cause.

Directions: (From South): From M3 J6 join the Basingstoke Ring Road north (signposted A339 Newbury), and exit following the A340 signs for Aldermaston, Tadley and Sherbourne St. John (and the District Hospital). Keep on A340 for 6-miles until you reach the Sainsburys traffic lights, and then another set of lights a further 50 metres along. Turn right at these, into Silchester Road towards Pamber Heath. After 900m the parking for the main car park is on the left. For those travelling to the Memorial Hall, this is 400m after the right turn at Pamber Heath Road.
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Race HQ: The Race HQ is at Pamber Heath Memorial Hall, Post Code RG26 3TQ
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Refreshments: After the race, at the Memorial Hall there will be hot food (freshly-cooked locally produced sausages from Sherfield-On-Loddon in bread rolls from Bramley Bakery) plus vegetarian options, and home-baked cakes by BMHAC club members, and tea/coffee, at a price of £2.00 per head.
Please stay on afterwards if you can (provisional race results will be announced at the Hall asap after the finish).To speed the results service, can all club team captains please return their completed race results envelopes as soon as possible to the race results coordinator (John Bigg) who will be based near the right-hand corner of the Memorial Hall after you walk in the entrance to the hall after the kitchen.

Facilities: Limited toilets, changing, and clothing dump are available at the Hall.

Competition Rules: All runners must wear a Club Vest. There may be sheep in the farmers field near Little London (the southern edge of the course), so no dogs, sorry.
Full race rules (including pace eligibility) at http://www.bobayer.com/trwl/rules/

Race Start: The start and finish will be in the open field adjacent to the forest entrance. The walking route will be marked from the Memorial Hall. There is plenty of space for club tents and/or flags.

IMPORTANT: As always, please display courtesy to others members of the public on the day, including whilst running. Please use the toilets in the Memorial Hall, or (if needs must) not in public view, particularly near the start.

Enquiries: tim.fowler@hotmail.co.uk, 07595 486930.

Well done to the 8 Hedge End Running Club members that completed the New Forest Marathon on the 10th of September 2017. This race had been selected as a Club Championship race, so congratulations to Mark Chamberlain and Jo Labram for winning the Men's and Ladies trophies.

Is there any connection between the fact that GBBO re-started the week after the 2017 RR10 season finished?  No coincidence in my mind.  And who would be our own “ol’ blue eyes”?  The standard, variety and sheer generosity of Hedge End baking this season was higher than ever before and special mention, if we dare, should be made of Kym, Sheryl, Jenna, Julie, Gavin and Elizabeth who sustained us almost every week of the summer.  Thank you all so much, bakers.
 
As for the running that went before it, this was a season of change.  The numbers of men who turned out at some time over the series, 76, was higher than in any other year, whereas the number of ladies, 41, fell compared to the 3 previous years.  Similarly the relative performance of those that ran, as shown in graphs below (for those that like their data) showed the men’s teams generally performing better in comparison to previous years while the ladies teams fared less well. 
 
Those deserving of mention within the ladies are Elizabeth Bamber who was 9th in the Ladies V50 group and Sheryl James who continued her fine record of being the only HERC lady to have run in 6 or more races every summer since we have been a participating club.   Of the men.... in his debut season, Pete O’Donnell was 7th V40, Keith Spiers 7th V50, and the apparently ageless Keith Sheppard was 3rd V60.  Matching Sheryl for sheer consistency over the 5 years that HERC has been a member club was Kevin Rowe.  And in the overall standings Kirsty Cartwright (25th=) and Pete O’Donnell (18th) were the best placed Hedgie runners this year.  But, as ever, the important thing is that new members have been introduced to the scene and hopefully all enjoyed the variety of Wednesday evening summer trail running that old hands like us continue to do.
 
So huge thanks to all who ran over the summer.  Also to all those who came out and supported, recorded the numbers and cheered us on… and baked.  It all really helps.  See you next April!

The July Member of the Month award is presented to Matt Risden.

Matt was a keen supporter of the HRRL last season, where he not only competed in 10 of the 12 races, but was the first Hedgie in every single one of the races he entered, including winning the Club Championships at Hayling 10 in November. As a result, he carried the men's 'A' team to promotion to the 1st Division with a near perfect league score of 10. He also finished a very credible 12th in the individual league.
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Many congratulations Matt.

Hedge End Running Club participates in the CC6 Winter Cross Country League

The CC6 Cross Country League is a friendly, low-key league, organised by the running clubs of South Hampshire for their members and provides an excellent introduction to competitive racing.

Held in the winter, these local races are free and take place once a month on Sunday mornings, between September and March. Distances are between 4 and 5 miles and have similar locations to those in the RR10 Summer XC league. There's no need to enter in advance, just turn up on the day, along with your club shirt, and run.

All races start at 9:30am. Note that the host clubs do not compete in the races they marshal.

The details of the race programme for 2017/18 are as follows:

Date - Host Clubs - Location
17th September 2017 - Eastleigh RC, Hedge End RC & Itchen Spitfires - Fleming Park
1st October 2017 - Stubbington & Netley - Whiteley Woods
5th November 2017 - Hardley - Dibden Inclosure
10th December 2017 - Lordshill & Wessex - Janesmoor Pond (Stoney Cross)
7th January 2018 - Winchester, Southampton AC & Running Sisters - Badger Farm
21st January 2018 - Romsey, Halterworth & Southampton Tri - Kings Garn Gutter Inclosure (Stoney Cross)
18th February 2018 - Totton - Denny Wood
11th March 2018 - New Forest Runners, Lymington Tri & Lymington Athletes - Wilverley Plain

Club Reps: Marie Droniou-Bordry and Elizabeth Bamber
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Hedge End Running Club participates in the Southern Cross Country League.

The League has 23 running clubs who compete in 6-7 multi-terrain events held between October and February. There are some 300-400 runners at each race and a team comprises 5 men and 3 women. No need to enter in advance, just turn up on the day, along with your club shirt, and run

​All races start at 11.00am.

The details of the race programme for 2017/18 are as follows:
Sun 08 Oct  - Basingstoke &Mid-Hants AC - Pamber Forest
Sun 12 Nov - Portsmouth Joggers - Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Sun 10 Dec - Farnham Runners - The Bourne Woods
Sun 31 Dec - Hart Road Runners - Lord Wandsworth College
Sun 21 Jan - Stubbington Green Runners - Manor Farm Country Park
Sun 25 Feb - Haslemere Border AC - Polecat Valley - date to be confirmed

Club Reps: Martyn Judd and Keith Sheppard 

Website: http://www.bobayer.com/trwl/

Hedge End Running Club participates in the Alton Sports Hampshire Cross Country League.

The league season runs from October to February and comprises five races in Hampshire and neighbouring counties. Senior Races are on a Saturday afternoon. The Senior (incl. Veterans and U-20) Women's race starts at 13.35 and is a maximum of 6km in distance. The Senior (incl Veterans and U-20) Men's race starts at 14.30 and is a maximum of 10km in distance. 

Note that all competitors must be registered with England Athletics.

The Dates, Host Clubs and Venues for the 2017/18 season are as follows:
14th October 2017 - Bournemouth AC - Kings Park, Bournemouth
11th November 2017 - TBC - Queen Elizabeth Country Park
2nd December 2017 - Basingstoke and Mid Hants AC - Popham Airfield
13th January 2018 - Reading AC - Prospect Park
10th February 2018 - Aldershot, Farnham & District AC - Aldershot

​Club Reps: Tim Ford and Melanie Ford

Website: http://www.hampshireathletics.org.uk/events/hxcl.html

The Hampshire Road Race League (HRRL) is an annual series of road races for all runners from participating clubs in the County of Hampshire and some clubs from neighbouring Counties. Since 2008-9 there have been twelve races in the season, from September to June. Individual race entries are required for all these races.

The races for the 2017-18 season are as follows:

1. Overton 5 Mile       - 3/09/17    
2. Solent Half             - 24/09/17    
3. Gosport Half           - 19/11/17   
4. Hayling  10 Mile      - 26/11/17   
5. Victory 5 Mile          - 3/12/17   
6. Stubbington 10 km  - 14/1/18
7. Ryde 10 Mile           - 4/2/18    
8. Eastleigh 10 km      - 18/3/18  
9. Salisbury 10 mile    - 8/4/18  
10. Alton 10 mile           - 13/5/18 
11. Netley 10 km           - 20/5/18 
12. Lordshill 10 km        - 24/6/18   

Hedge End Running Club has 'A', 'B' and 'C' teams in both the Women's and the Men's Leagues. 
The 'A' teams are in Division 1 of the 'A' League and the 'B' and 'C' teams are in Division 1 of the 'B' League for both Men and Women.
The Men's 'A' team comprises the first 4 HERC male runners in the race, the 'B' team the second 4 and the 'C' team the third 4.
The Women's 'A' team comprises the first 3 HERC female runners in the race, the 'B' team the second 3 and the 'C' team the third 3..