Club & Team Event News

Last updated: Monday, 19 January, 2015 at 09:01pm
On the track

In the past the White Horse Harriers have competed in a number of team–orientated events. More recently those events have included the Ridgeway Relay (hosted by Marlborough Running Club), the Teddy Hall Relays (hosted by Oxford University Athletic Club) and the Highworth Team Half Marathon (hosted by Highworth Running Club). To learn more about these events and the dates they next scheduled to be held click on the links below.

If there any other club or team events you would like to see included in this section just drop me an email and I will add to this page.

Past results can be viewed by going to the Results Archive, where the past results are stored by month and year.

top < The Terminator – Big Team Challenge ~ February

This event is not strictly a team event although there is a team prize for the first 8 club or team members. This event is organised and hosted by Pewsey Vale Running Club with the race HQ at Pewsey School in Pewsey. The race starts (usually 10:30am) at the front of the school and finishes in the playing fields behind the school

The course is described as mostly off–road following footpaths, lanes and bridleways. After leaving Pewsey, the route hits the tranquil towpaths of the Kennet & Avon Canal followed by a gentle skip across wet farm land where you will reach a sign which will indicate that your warmup is over! The course is now ready to test you. Awaiting you are: The Gully, The Coomb, The Dodge Sh***y, Terminator Hill, The Sting in the Tail and The Shoe Wash!

Some may tell you course is 10 miles in length – they’re country miles at best as it’s nearer 11! Excellent changing/showering facilities are provided. Free parking is available. Hot and cold refreshments are available in the school after the race.

The next Terminator is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 22 February 2015. You can find out more about this event by going to the The Terminator webpage ».

top < Teddy Hall Relays ~ March

The Teddy Hall Relays » is an event hosted by Oxford University Athletic Club and is held at the Iffley Road Athletics Track of Roger Bannister and the 4–minute mile fame. This is a great event in which our teams have experienced some success in recent years and is an opportunity to experience the cameraderie and banter that goes towards building a healthy team spirit!

Teams of 4 (Mens & Mixed) and 3 (Ladies) compete over a course about 3.6 miles in length that sweeps out of the stadium and along the road in towards Oxford city centre, through the Botanic Gardens past Christ Church over Folly Bridge along the towpath beside the Thames/Isis before crossing another bridge and returning to the stadium along the back lanes.

The date of the next scheduled Teddy Hall Relays is Wednesday, 11 March 2015. The race starts and finishes in the Iffley Road stadium. You can find out more about this event by going to the Teddy Hall Relays webpage ».

top < White Horse Half Marathon ~ March/April

This, our very own half marathon (Oxfordshire’s only half marathon event) which attracts a loyal following and is widely perceived to be a friendly and well-organised event with the course being ideally suited to fast times. This race also doubles as the Oxfordshire County Half Marathon Championships.

The course is described as running “through the attractive country villages of the Vale of the White Horse”, although if you read some of the remarks on the Runner’s World talking about the hills you would think they were discussing a different race. Apart from the “speed bump” back over the bridge into Grove at the end of the race it is a very flat course!

The next White Horse Half Marathon is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 29 March 2015. If you would like to find out more about the White Horse Half Marathon by going to our website ».

top < Oxfordshire County Road Relays ~ April/May

The Oxfordshire County Road Relays provide another opportunity for the White Horse Harriers to get together and enjoy a morning revelling in the competition and cheering on our fellow Harriers. In recent years this event has been hosted by Hook Norton Harriers in an idyllic setting and is very popular with the runners. This year, however, the event will be moving to a new venue in Abingdon due to the unavailability of the venue.

Each member of the teams of 6 (men) and 3 (ladies and juniors) run one lap over a new course at Abingdon. The routes for the races are to be confirmed.

The next scheduled Oxfordshire County Road Relays are scheduled to take place on Sunday, 19 April 2015 at the Abingdon Rugby Club, Abingdon, starting from 2:00pm.

top < Club Cross Country Handicap ~ May

This event is for White Horse Harrier members only taking place at the usual venue of Sparsholt Firs normally at around 7:00pm. The undulating course between five and six miles long traverses the tracks and lanes along and around the Ridgeway. This can be a particularly demanding course if you manage to lose your way, as has happened on at least one occasion in the past!

The handicap nature of the event allows all members to participate, and bribery of the handicapper has been known to be encouraged! This usually takes place on a Thursday evening in place of the normal club training evening and is a fun event much enjoyed by those who take part.

The next Club Cross Country Handicap is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 21 May 2015 at the usual venue and time of Sparsholt Firs at 7:00pm. More information about this club event can be found on our website ».

top < Ridgeway Relay ~ June/July

This is a fantastic event. Hats off to Marlborough Running Club » for organising such a brilliant event. This is an event you have to experience at least once in your lifetime, although many of us keep on coming back for more — just can’t get enough of it!

The Ridgeway Relay is a team relay event covering the length of the Ridgeway long distance foot path from Ivinhoe Beacon near Tring to the leisure centre in Marlborough — all 86.5 miles of it! Thankfully, the route is run in stages, not individually, although there have been some who have indeed completed the feat! The route is broken down into 10 leg varying in length from 5.3 miles to 11.6 miles.

The next Ridgeway Relay is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 5 July 2015, starting at Ivinghoe Beacon. If you are interested in finding out more about the terrain covered and the different stages click here ». More details as well as the terms and conditions regarding the event can also be found in the Invitation document here ».

top < Race The Train ~ August

This is a mult–terrain event for those looking for something a little more challenging. The Race The Train event actually incorporates four separate challenge events – the Rotary (15m), Quarry (10km), Dolgoch (5.5m) and Tyllwynhen (3.5m) challenges – so there’s something for everyone. There ia also a team challenge. Television coverage has certainly helped to increase the draw of this event which attracts competitors from around the world.

The race routes follow alongside the route taken by the Talyllyn Railway as far as practicable on its journey to Abergynolwyn and back. Consequently all the courses pass over a mixture of terrain – public roads, lanes, un–metalled roads, tracks, agricultural land, and rough grazing pasture – it can be very wet and muddy in places. The routes also ascend and descend quite steep terrain and follow along narrow footpaths where there is little chance of overtaking. Sounds fun!

The next Race The Train event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 15 August 2015. If you are interested in finding out more about the different challenges click here ». If you would like to consider being part of a Harrier team to enter the event please contact Simon Leech.

top < Round Norfolk Relay ~ September

This relay looks to be a tremendous event and it would be great to get a team together to take part. You can find out a great deal more about the Round Norfolk Relay by following this link to the event’s website ». This event would provide a great opportunity for team bonding and building team spirit!

The Round Norfolk Relay course is described as following the county boundary over a distance of 193 miles, divided into 17 unequal stages. Norfolk’s enormous skies, vast sandy beaches, open spaces and picturesque towns and villages, with their attractive cottages and medieval churches, all contribute to making the race a unique running experience.

The next Round Norfolk Relay is to be confirmed. If you are interested in finding out more about the terrain covered and the different stages click here » and A map of the course is available here.

So, if there are any of you Harriers out there who would be willing to be part of the White Horse Harriers team send an email to Paul Jégou to let him know you are interested.