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2009 Harrier Notices & Breaking News

Last updated: Monday, 30 November, 2009

Below are important notices about up–and–coming club events, requests for team members and other general information.

top <Culham Park – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Monday, 30 December 2009

The second Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture of the season hosted by Headington Road Runners will take place at Culham Park on Sunday, 6 December. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know.

The race start times are as follows (– please note the slightly later start time of the Under 13 Girls race):

The race venue is located at grid reference SU523966, with the entrance to the race is at grid reference SP526953, off the A415. A link to location maps is provided here. The journey to Culham Park should only take approximately 20-30 minutes at most from Wantage.

Please Note: There are no changing or toilet facilities at the course.

Parking: The cost for car parking at this event will be £3.00. So please consider lift sharing to help reduce the cost.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Upton Court Park, Slough – Chiltern Cross Country League Notice ~ Monday, 30 November 2009

The third Chiltern Cross Country League fixture of the 2009/10 season will be held at Upton Court Park, Slough on Saturday, 5 December. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know so they can get an idea of numbers planning to go.

Links to location details are provided here as well as maps providing overall directions to Upton Court Park, Slough and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Upton Court Park, Slough should take approximately one and a half hours covering a distance of some 87 miles.

Regarding the fixture please note the following:

Venue: Please note that the venue is Upton Court Park and not Upton Park nearby. Changing/parking/refreshments at Eton Track which is 10 minutes’ walk from the start/finish. Athletes are therefore requested not to use the car park at the venue but to use the Overflow Car Park at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre in Pococks Lane, Eton, and walk to the course. Allow 15 minutes for the walk to the course. See the links to the maps above.

Please respect this request or we may be refused future use of the venue.

Timetable: The race start times are as per the normal programme as follows:

Courses: Flat grassland with some minor slopes and muddy sections.

Public Transport: The venue is within walking distance of Slough Town Centre. Eton Track is within walking distance of Windsor Town Centre.

Facilities: There are no changing facilities at the course. You will however be able to change/shower at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre although there will be a nominal entry charge. Vending machines are available at the track for snacks and drinks.

Refreshments: It is hoped that refreshments will also be available from the Scout Hut at the far end of the car park near the start/finish area – though this has yet to be confirmed. If so, then the ladies toilets will also be available at the Scout Hut.

Please do not hesitate to contact either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or myself (01235 868111) if you have any questions or need to arrange a lift.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Hudson’s Field, Salisbury – Wessex Cross Country League Notice ~ Monday, 23 November 2009

The second Wessex Cross Country League fixture of the 2009/10 season is scheduled to be held at Hudson’s Field, Salisbury this coming Sunday.

Here are the links to maps providing overall directions to Hudson’s Field, Salisbury as well as the local street map of the area. According to the TomTom Route Planner the journey to Hudson’s Field, Salisbury should take approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes covering a distance of some 47 miles following the A338, A303 and A345.

The start times and distances of the races are as follows:

Please do not hesitate to contact either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or myself (01235 868111) if you have any questions or need to arrange a lift.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Wigmore Valley – Chiltern Cross Country League Notice ~ Tuesday, 3 November 2009

The second Cross Country League fixture of the 2009/10 season will be held at the Wigmore Valley, Luton on Saturday, 7 November. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let Frank Briscoe know by email or telephone on (01235) 769214 so he can get an idea of the numbers planning to attend the fixture.

Links are provided here to maps giving overall directions to Wigmore Valley, Luton and a local street map of the area. According to the TomTom Route Planner the journey to Wigmore Valley, Luton should take an hour and 35 minutes covering a distance of some 81 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: The venue for this event is Wigmore Valley not the usual Stockwood Park due to drainage work taking place at the latter.

Timetable: The race start times are as per the normal programme as follows:

Parking: The car park for the event is the area to the right of the words “Car Park” on the map.

Directions:
From the M1 – Leave the M1 at J10 and follow the signs for the airport. Crossing the traffic lights on Airport Way, take the right hand lane, sign posted Hitchin (A505). At the second roundabout (past the GM factory) turn right into Eaton Green Road. Go up the hill and across two roundabouts (second one is a mini roundabout) then after approximately 200 metres turn right (signposted CAR PARK CROSS COUNTRY) into the road to the Recycling Centre. Immediately turning onto this road, turn left into the car park. The start/finish area is across the football pitch.
From Hitchin A505 – Turn left off the A505 into Vauxhall Way, follow the airport signs, at the second roundabout, turn left into Eaton Green Road and follow directions above.
From Bedford A6 – Approaching Luton town centre, turn left into Stockingstone Road (cricket ground in front of you). At the top of Stockinghouse Road filter left onto Hitchin Road. Follow Hitchin Road round to the roundabout and turn left onto Vauxhall Way (to the airport) following instructions from Hitchin above.

Facilities: There are adequate toilets, changing and showering facilities as the pavilion which is near the Hotel marked on the map. Note: Please pitch tents in the area between the pavilion and the play park.

Refreshments: Refreshments will be available.

The Course: The courses are described as not very taxing. They are on grass tracks with some stony track in parts.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Club AGM Reminder ~ Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Please can we remind all members that the White Horse Harriers AC Annual General Meeting will take place this Friday, 30 October, at 7:30pm in Old Mill Hall, Grove. All club members should have received a formal notification of this meeting.

Please come along and support the committee. It is also an opportunity for you to help shape the future of the club as well as raise any issues or concerns. Refreshments will be provided.

Further details of the meeting can be found on the White Horse Harriers AC website.

Gareth Smith

top <King’s Park, Bournemouth – Wessex Cross Country League Notice ~ Wednesday, 28 October 2009

The first Wessex Cross Country League fixture of the 2009–2010 season is scheduled to be held at King’ Park, Bournemouth this coming Sunday. This fixture clashes with the first Oxford Mail League fixture which is at Ascott–under–Wychwood on the same day.

Here are the links to maps providing overall directions to King’s Park, Bournemouth as well as the local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to King’s Park, Bournemouth should take approximately 2 hours covering a distance of some 86 miles straight down the A338.

The start times and distances of the races are as follows:

Parking: There is some limited free on–street parking in the park and surrounding streets and also a large council pay & display car park (2 hours – £1.00, 3 hours – £1.50, 4 hours – £2.00, more than than 4 hours – £3.50).

Facilities: Changing rooms, toilets and showers are all available in the Athletics Stadium.

Refreshments: The café at the Athletics Stadium will also be open for the benefit of competitors and supporters.

Please Note: The U11 results will score as part of the league from now on – so they can expect medals at the end of the season. Any year 6’s can either elect to run as U11’s or can run up as an U13.
As there are only 5 fixtures again this year – to avoid any confusion later in the season individuals will be able to drop 2 fixtures (best 3 to count) and teams can drop 1 fixture (best 4 to count). Unfortunately attempts to avoid the schools weekend in January have failed.
Affiliation paperwork will be provided at Bournemouth (– and posting any to those who don’t collect). Please remember that INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATIONS are being taken – £10.00 for 5 races and a chance of a trophy at the end of the season isn’t bad!

Please do not hesitate to contact either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) if you have any questions.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Ascott–under–Wychwood – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Wednesday, 28 October 2009

The first Oxford Mail Cross Country League meeting of the 2009–2010 season will take place at Ascott–under–Wychwood on Sunday, 1 November 2009. Full details, including a map of how to get there, can be found on the league website.

The race start times are as normal as follows:

The race venue is located at grid reference SP304169, off the B4437. A link to the location map is provided here. According to the TomTom Route Planner the journey to Ascott–under–Wychwood should take just around 45 minutes covering a distance of just over 24 miles.

Please do not forget to arrive in plenty of time for your event as you will need to collect your race number beforehand. Look for the White Horse Harriers tent.

Please Note: We are asked to provide two marshals for this event. We have one volunteer and are looking for another. If you can help please let Gareth Smith know via email or 01235 767538) if you can help.
Please also note that we encourage you to car share where practical as the car parking at the event is £3.00 per car.

Gareth Smith

top <Horspath Stadium – Chiltern Cross Country League Notice ~ Wednesday, 23 September 2009

The first Cross Country League fixture of the 2009/10 season will be held at the Horspath Stadium, Oxford on Saturday, 10 October. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let Frank Briscoe know by email or telephone on (01235) 769214 so he can get an idea of the numbers planning to attend the fixture.

Links are provided here to maps giving overall directions to the Horspath, Oxford and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to the Horspath Stadium, Oxford should take just over half an hour covering a distance of some 20 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: The Horspath Stadium is situated on Oxford Road off the Oxford Eastern Bypass (A4142) just past the BMW plant in Cowley where the Mini is manufactured. See the links to the maps above.

Timetable: The race start times are as per the normal programme as follows:

Parking: Due to the high cost of using this venue including hiring the pitches so that we have exclusive use of the site, we will be charging £1.00 for parking. Do not park in Horspath Road – we have been informed by Oxford City Council and Thames Valley Police that they won’t allow events to be staged at this venue if cars are parked on Horspath Road.

Public Transport: The Stagecoach bus number 10 goes nearest to the venue. It runs every 12 minutes from Oxford Town Centre. Get off at the stop in Horspath Road where the bus does a U turn just to the west of the Ring Road. For full details and schedules please see the Stagecoach Oxford website.

Refreshments: Hot and cold food and drinks will be available – please support.

The Course: This is a parkland course incorporating hill climbs, that many of you will already be familiar with if you competed in the Oxfordshire Cross Country Championships held there earlier this year. You can download the course maps here – please note the file is 1.5Mb in size. Spikes will be an advantage. Please respect the other users of the park. This is a valued cross country course which we would like to use again!

Dene Stringfellow

top <Longworth 10k Date Change ~ Monday, 14 September 2009

Please note that the Longworth 10k road race – one of the races constituting this year’s club road race championships and originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, 27 September – has been rescheduled to take place on Sunday, 20 September. See the race web page for further details.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Jo Booker Receives England Athletics Award ~ Thursday, 10 September 2009

We are very pleased to announce that Jo Booker has received the 2009 England Athletics South East Young Volunteer of the Year award. Jo, who has just completed her studies at King Alfred’s Community and Sports College, was put forward for the award by the school and club.

Photo: Gareth Smith

The picture shows Jo receiving her award from Scott Grace of England Athletics surrounded by some of the athletes she has helped to coach. Jo has been a regular helper at White Horse Harriers training sessions and we would like to congratulate her on the award.

Gareth Smith

top <Club Summer Barbecue ~ Wednesday, 8 July 2009

This is a reminder of the barbecue to be held at Rowstock this Saturday, 11 July. The barbecue is hosted by Elaine and Mike Kerswell in the garden of their house at Rowstock (The Timbers, Rowstock Corner) from 6:30pm onwards. There is a charge of £5.00 for adults or £2.50 for under 18’s for the barbecue which goes towards covering the expenses of holding the event.

All our members are welcome to come along and enjoy a relaxed evening in very attractive surroundings. Unlike some of our other events we don’t ask for you to bring any drinks or food to this event – all is provided for in the cost.

In order for us to be able to tell Mike how many will be attending, please can you let us know as soon as possible if you will be there. To do so (or ask for more details) contact Gareth Smith (01235 767538 or by email ). Cheques can be sent to Gareth at 13, Glebe Gardens, Grove OX12 7LX and made payable to White Horse Harriers AC.

We look forward to seeing you there on Saturday evening.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Harriers Mourn Passing of Club President and Founder Member ~ Saturday, 13 June 2009

It is with great sadness that the Harriers have learned that Barrie Strange – our club president and founder member – has passed away after serious illness.

As well as holding the post of president of the White Horse Harriers Barrie was also the president of the Oxfordshire Athletics Association serving the county for over 40 years. He also officiated at every one of the White Horse Half Marathons up until last year from which he had to withdraw through ill health. Barrie was a real bedrock of our club and will be sorely missed.

Our condolences and our thoughts go out to Margaret and also to their family at this sad time.

The funeral will take place on Friday, 19 June at 12:00 noon at St Andrew’s Church, East Hagbourne. A celebration of Barrie’s life will take place afterwards at the Conservative Club, Foxhall Road, Didcot, to which all are invited.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Summer Cross Country Handicap Update ~ Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Please note that if you are intending competing in the club’s Summer Cross Country Handicap this Thursday evening could you let John Peake know that you will be competing in the event so he can prepare the list of entrants and the handicapping.

Date & Time: Thursday, 11th June 2009 at 7:00pm
Venue: Sparsholt Firs

This year’s Cross Country Handicap will take place on Thursday, 11th May at the usual venue by Sparsholt Firs. The traditional undulating course is approximately 5.5 miles in length. The start, and meeting point, is just where a minor road leaves the main B4001 (road to Lambourn) at an angle some 500 yards to the south of Sparsholt Firs (map reference: 341845). Some details of this event can be found on our web site.

Once again our athletes will be competing for the “Pieces Trophy” which will be awarded to the first to finish. The usual rules about bribing the handicapper and lying through your teeth about being unfit and/or having some unspecified injury apply ...

For more details please contact Gareth Smith (01235 767538 or by email .

For those that are interested, I’ve included links to a .jpg image of the overall route and also a Google Earth link file (for those that have Google Earth) so you can follow the route in more detail as well as play the tour from the program’s Tools Menu.

So, again, no excuses for getting lost this year then! We look forward to seeing you there.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2009 Ridgeway Relay Team Update 03 ~ Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Please note that owing to the withdrawal of Don Burrows the latest team list is now as follows:

If you have any queries or are no longer able to take part please contact Dene Stringfellow either by telephone on 01235 868111 / 07967 665758 or by email » and let him know as soon as possible.

An email will be sent to all team members confirming this information.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2009 Ridgeway Relay Team Update 02 ~ Wednesday, 3 June 2009

This is just a quick reminder to team members, if you haven't already done so, you should read the Race Instructions document (Adobe Reader document) which has just been updated. Please make sure you have checked the instructions for the leg you are down to run in case they have changed from last year and, if you get the opportunity, try to do a pre-race recce of the leg to make sure you know the route.

Owing to the withdrawal of Hugh Owen the latest team list is now as follows:

If you have any queries or are no longer able to take part please contact Dene Stringfellow either by telephone on 01235 868111 / 07967 665758 or by email » and let him know as soon as possible.

An email will be sent to all team members confirming this information.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Club Athletics Championships Update ~ Friday, 29 May 2009

Please note the following amendment to the previously stated venue for the informal Annual Club Athletics Championships.

Date & Time: Thursday, 2nd July 2009 at 6:30pm
Venue: King Alfred’s West Site

Following the success of the informal Annual Club Athletics Championships over the past two years, we will be holding the event again this year. The venue will be as last year, at King Alfred’s Centre Site athletics field behind Wantage Leisure Centre. Please note that it is important to arrive in plenty of time to enable the events on the evening to run smoothly and on time.

The format will be similar to last year with a mixture of events – both track and field – for everyone to try. The events are broken down into age categories with events for under 11s, and separate races for over 11s, seniors and vets. For U11 there will be an 80m, 600m and throwing the cricket ball; for everyone else the events are 100m, 800m and shot.

Members are encouraged to bring along their families to participate as well, siblings and parents are welcome. There is a family competition for the best combined results, so all family members (Mums, Dads, Aunts, Uncles ... sadly, pets don’t count!) are welcome. Final details of the event format and timings will be posted here nearer the time.

We look forward to see lots of you competing again this year and apologies for the confusion over the venue.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2009 Ridgeway Relay Team Update ~ Friday, 22 May 2009

Below is the 2009 team for the White Horse Harriers’ for this year’s challenge for honours at the Ridgeway Relay:

If you have any queries regarding this selection in terms of race leg order or are no longer able to take part please contact Dene Stringfellow either by telephone on 01235 868111 / 07967 665758 or by email » and let him know as soon as possible.

If anyone is interested in doing some route reconnaissance prior to the event please contact Dene Stringfellow. Legs 1 (in particular) and 2 have been known to cause problems in the past. An abbreviated document covering the relay route is available for download here » for your reference. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Dene.

An email will be sent to all team members providing a link to this information.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Club Athletics Championships ~ Thursday, 21 May 2009

Date & Time: Thursday, 2nd July 2009 at 6:30pm
Venue: King Alfred’s Field (behind Wantage Leisure Centre)

Following the success of the informal Annual Club Athletics Championships over the past two years, we will be holding the event again this year. The venue will be as last year, at King Alfred’s Centre Site athletics field behind Wantage Leisure Centre. Please note that it is important to arrive in plenty of time to enable the events on the evening to run smoothly and on time.

The format will be similar to last year with a mixture of events – both track and field – for everyone to try. The events are broken down into age categories with events for under 11s, and separate races for over 11s, seniors and vets. For U11 there will be an 80m, 600m and throwing the cricket ball; for everyone else the events are 100m, 800m and shot.

Members are encouraged to bring along their families to participate as well, siblings and parents are welcome. There is a family competition for the best combined results, so all family members (Mums, Dads, Aunts, Uncles ... sadly, pets don’t count!) are welcome. Final details of the event format and timings will be posted here nearer the time.

We look forward to see lots of you competing again this year.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Summer Cross Country Handicap ~ Thursday, 21 May 2009

Date & Time: Thursday, 11th June 2009 at 7:00pm
Venue: Sparsholt Firs

This year’s Cross Country Handicap will take place on Thursday, 11th May at the usual venue by Sparsholt Firs. The traditional undulating course is approximately 5.5 miles in length. The start, and meeting point, is just where a minor road leaves the main B4001 (road to Lambourn) at an angle some 500 yards to the south of Sparsholt Firs (map reference: 341845). Some details of this event can be found on our web site.

Once again our athletes will be competing for the “Pieces Trophy” which will be awarded to the first to finish. The usual rules about bribing the handicapper and lying through your teeth about being unfit and/or having some unspecified injury apply ...

For more details please contact Gareth Smith (01235 767538 or by email .

For those that are interested, I’ve included links to a .jpg image of the overall route and also a Google Earth link file (for those that have Google Earth) so you can follow the route in more detail as well as play the tour from the program’s Tools Menu.

So, again, no excuses for getting lost this year then! We look forward to seeing you there.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Club Barbecue & Presentation Evening ~ Thursday, 14 May 2009

Date & Time: Friday, 5th June 2009 at 7:30pm
Venue: The Court Hill Centre

There will be a barbecue and presentation of the trophies from the Winter Cross–Country season at The Court Hill Centre (the old Youth Hostel) by the Ridgeway above Wantage on Friday 5th June, starting at 7:30pm.

During the evening we will present both the trophies and participants medals from last winter’s cross–country season. There will be a ‘bring and share’ barbecue. Please bring along something to barbecue and other food. There is plenty of space nearby for youngsters. Should the weather be inclement we have booked the Beechwood Room indoors as well.

Please make a note of the date in your diaries and we look forward to seeing you there on the evening. Details of the venue can be found here and directions can also be viewed using this link.

Do not hesitate to contact Gareth Smith either by telephone on 01235 767538 or by email if you have any questions or need any further information.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Move to West Site for Thursday Evening Training Sessions ~ Friday, 1 May 2009

All members please note that from next week, 7th May, the White Horse Harriers Thursday evening training session will be held at King Alfred’s School, West Site. This is for both junior and senior training sessions. The sessions will be held at the usual time, i.e. to start at 7:00pm.

We will use King Alfred’s West site for the summer. We will announce a date when we will return to Wantage Leisure Centre in due course.

A map showing the location of the school can be found here.

Gareth Smith

top <Comfortable Victories For Farmer & Penfold In White Horse Half Marathon ~ Monday, 6 April 2009

Paul Farmer (Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers RC) and Charlotte Penfold (Bournemouth AC) recorded comfortable victories in this year’s White Horse Half Marathon on a day when we were blaessed with near perfect race conditions. Both winner’ margin of victory was of the order of three minutes.

Of the home club runners taking part Lucia Singer produced the performance of the day to earn L35 class bronze in the Oxfordshire County Championships with her 142nd place overall. The first home club male athlete to crosss the line was Dan Peace who finished in 44th position overall.

Many thanks again to all the officials, recorders, St. John Ambulance, and all of the marshals and helpers wthout whom this race could not take place and who helped to make sure that the event wasanother great success this year.

For the full race report and links to the provisional race results click here.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2009 Provisional Young Athletes Summer Fixtures ~ Monday, 16 March 2009

Please click here to view the provisional summer fixture list. The most important dates for club members are highlighted in bold. Please put these dates in your diaries/calanders now. Additional fixtures will be added as and when we hear about them.

Unlike Cross Country fixtures the majority of Track & Field fixtures require entry forms to be sent off by individual athletes/parents in advance. The only summer fixtures where the club does the entries are the Oxfordshire County Road Relays and the Oxfordshire Junior League fixtures.

A reminder that age groups change for the summer season so U17 (yr 10 & 11), U15 (yr 8 & 9), U13 (yr 6 & 7), U11 (yr 4 & 5), U9 (on day of competition).

We will require help with the team management for the 3 Oxfordshire Junior League fixtures (5th April, 28th June, 16th August). Angela cannot manage all 10 age groups effectively by herself – however it is a fairly easy job if you only have to look after one age group. So please consider volunteering to help with your child’s age group.

We would also like volunteers from the U17 men/women’s age group to volunteer to team manage their age group – excellent experience to put on your CV! We are hoping to enter at least one extra Track & Field league for 2010 but this will not be a possibility if more people do not come forward to help team manage.

As well as Track & Field I have also found some dates for local Fun Runs. Some of these are enter on the day but others require advance entries so please Google the specific event you are interested in or search the RunnersWorld website for more details. A few of these fun runs coincide with Senior Road Club Championship events. If you hear about any other local Fun Runs (at School Fayres, Village Fetes, etc.) please let us know and we can advertise them to all our club members.

Thank you for your support.

Frances Briscoe

top <April Time Trial Notice ~ Monday, 9 March 2009

Please note that the final club Time Trial of the 2008/9 season is now scheduled to take place on the evening of Thursday, 23 April at the Centre site playing fields (where we train in the Summer field adjacent to Wantage Football Club). The Time Trial will take the place of the usual Thursday evening training session.

All members (including sprinters) are expected to participate particularly if they have not been able to make any of the club cross country fixtures so far this season.

Please remember family and friends who are not members are welcome to participate (please ensure any under 8s are happy running the distance). Any children currently on the waiting list are also welcome to participate so if they are your friends please let them know.

Notification of the times of the various events will be provided nearer the date.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Clanfield – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Wednesday, 25 February 2009

The final Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture of the 2008/9 season hosted by Woodstock Harriers AC will take place at Friars Court, Clanfield on Sunday, 1 March. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know.

The race start times will be as follows:

The race venue at Clanfield is located at grid reference SP285008, with the entrance to Friars Court off the A4095. A link to the location map is provided here. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Friars Court, Clanfield should take 38 minutes covering a distance of approximately 13.5 miles.

Please Note: As in previous seasons, the mens’ and womens’ races are swapped round in order to assist in getting the results out early for the prize–giving.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Parliament Hill, London – National Cross Country Championships Notice ~ Friday, 13 February 2009

The 2009 National Cross Country Championships will be held at Parliament Hill, London on Saturday, 21 February. If any of the team members require transport could they please let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow know so they can organise the transport arrangements.

Links to maps are provided here giving overall directions to Parliament Hill, London and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Parliament Hill, London should take approximately one hour and 44 minutes covering a distance of some 73.27 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: Parking at Parliament Hill Fields – Hampstead Heath, North London is limited so please allow plenty of time. There are two car parks, available for the general public this year, one is at the bottom of East Heath Rd and the other is at Jack Straws Castle at the top of the East Heath Rd. They both hold a maximum of 200 cars. Side roads around Parliament Hill Fields are busy and in generalÊ residents parking only, so to help you we list various routes and ways to get you to the venue.

Timetable: The race start times and approximate distances are as as follows:

Club Tents: Club Tents cannot be dropped off and have to be carried onto the site, the nearest entrance to the Club Tent Area is Highgate Road with then a 400 metre walk to the Area.

Club Colours: All athletes must wear Club Colours. Failure to do so will lead to disqualification.

Presentations: The winning individuals and teams will receive their presentations at 2:00pm and 4:00pm in the Main Marquee opposite the Band Stand. More information on this will be available in the programme.

Programmes: Programmes will be on sale at £3.00 each. As well as a list of athletes and numbers each programme will have a plan of all the courses..

Chip Timing: Chip Timing will be used. Failure to return your chip will be subject to a £7.00 penalty charge per chip.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Luton – Chiltern Cross Country League Notice ~ Sunday, 8 February 2009

The final Chiltern Cross Country League fixture of the 2008/9 season is scheduled to be held at Stockwood Park, Luton on Saturday, 14 February. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow know so they can get an idea of numbers planning to go.

Links are provided here to maps giving overall directions to the Stockwood Park, Luton and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to the Stockwood Park, Luton should take approximately one hour 49 minutes covering a distance of some 80 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: Stockwood Park, Luton is situated close to the M1. The Park can be found very easily off junction 10 of the M1 – at the roundabout at the top of Airport Way turn on to London Road (left if coming off the M1 or right if coming up Airport Way), carry straight on at the lights and take the next left (Whitehill Avenue), go right to the end, turn left and the entrance to the park is on your left.

Timetable: Note that, as usual, the final match is run to a special timetable to facilitate results processing for the post event presentations as follows:

Parking: Access to the park for car parking will be controlled so you are asked to please respectfully follow the car parking marshals instructions.
Teams coming to Luton by mini–bus can now access a new car park, turning off London Road at the traffic lights and following the signs to the Discovery Centre. It is then a short, 200 metre walk to the start/finish area.

Facilities: Changing and toilet facilities are available at the track, close to the start and finish.

Refreshments: Available all afternoon from the clubhouse at the track, and results will be displayed here.

The Course: The course will be run mainly over parkland. The long loop will go through the centre of the golf course. Please could all competitors and spectators be sure to keep to the cross country course and not cross fairways, tees or greens. Also on the long loop some roots may be experienced and taller runners should note there are some low hanging branches that will be clearly marked with tape. Click here for a simple map of the course.

Presentations: The end of the season presentations will take place around 04:15pm in front of the pavilion following the completion of the last race.

Dene Stringfellow

top <February Time Trial Update ~ Friday, 6 February 2009

Please note that the club’s February Time Trial will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow despite the current weather conditions.

Best efforts will be made to ensure the course is as safe as possible. Athletes choosing to run will do so at their own risk however.

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

Dene Stringfellow

top <February Time Trial Notice ~ Tuesday, 3 February 2009

The February club timetrials will be held this Saturday, 7th February at the Centre site playing fields (where we train in the Summer field adjacent to Wantage Football Club). All members (including sprinters) are expected to participate particularly if they have not been able to make any of the club cross country fixtures so far this season.

Please remember family and friends who are not members are welcome to participate (please ensure any under 8s are happy running the distance). Any children currently on the waiting list are also welcome to participate so if they are your friends please let them know.

The first race (U11s) will start at 2:00pm so please try to arrive before 1:45pm. If you would like to help us set up we will be there from 1:15pm.

The seniors are considering running a 4,000 m event but this would probably start at the same time as the 3,000 m event. Please remember parents are welcome to participate and depending on your current level of fitness please feel welcome to join in with any of the distances. Juniors who are beginners are also welcome to step down a distance but they should have the aim of completing the full distance for their age by the April Timetrial.

For those of you who are new to the club the timetrials were introduced to provide a competitive opportunity in Wantage on Saturdays for those children who are not able to make Sunday morning competitions and/or wanted something local. It is very hard keeping up your motivation to train during the winter if you haven’t got a target and all club members should now have the target each winter of improving their timetrial time. The timetrial distances are also similar to the distances run in the league cross country races so they are an opportunity for new members/ beginners to get a feel for the distance/length of time running before they compete in an actual league race – they should also get some idea of where they would finish based on where they are in relation to club members who regularly participate in league races. The emphasis is on improving your time and there is a prize at the end of the season for the club member who has improved the most.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask Angela or Frank Briscoe (White Horse Harriers) on 01235 769214.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Cirencester – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Tuesday, 27 January 2009

The fourth and penultimate Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture of the season hosted by Cirencester AC will take place at Cirencester Park, Cirencester on Sunday, 1 February. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know.

The race start times will, as normal, be as follows:

The race venue is located at grid reference SO996020, off the A419 with the entrance to the estate located at grid reference SO988017, off the A419. A link to the location map is provided here. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Cirencester Park should take just over an hour covering a distance of approximately 37 miles.

Please Note:refreshments and limited toilet facilities will be available.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2009 Club Road Race Championships Update ~ Monday, 19 January 2009

The events comprising the club’s road race championships are now confirmed. For the full details go to the Road Race link in the navigation panel to the left. Please remember to read all the details as the format has been changed slightly for this year’s competition.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Hillingdon – Southern Cross Country Championships Notice ~ Monday, 19 January 2009

The 2009 Southern Cross Country Championships will be held at Hillingdon House Farm, Hillingdon on Saturday, 24 January. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow know so they can get an idea of numbers planning to go and any travelling arrangements can be organised.

Links to maps are provided here giving overall directions to Hillingdon House Farm, Hillingdon and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Hillingdon House Farm should take approximately one hour and 20 minutes covering a distance of some 56.62 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: Hillingdon House Farm is situated on the left-hand side of the B483 travelling south from the Swakeleys Roundabout junction of the A40 Western Avenue (i.e. the second junction after the M40 passes over the M25. See the links to the maps above.

Timetable: The race start times and approximate distances are as as follows:

Chip Timing: Chip Timing will be used. Failure to return your chip will be subject to a £7.00 penalty charge per chip.

Presentations: SEAA medals will be awarded to the first three placed competitors and the scoring team members of the first three placed teams in each group.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Banbury – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Monday, 29 December 2008

The third Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture of the season hosted by Banbury Harriers AC will take place at Drayton School, Banbury on Sunday, 4 January. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know.

The race start times are as normal as follows:

The race venue is located at grid reference SP436416, off the A422. A link to the location map is provided here. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to Drayton School, Banbury should take just over an hour covering a distance of approximately 42 miles.

Please Note: As you may or may not be aware there is building work going on at Drayton School but this won’t be affecting the hosting of the race. However, parking will be available in both car parks, with access through the alleyway between the school gym and the all–weather pitches. Probable access to the start will be across the running track. Please keep to the perimeter of this in order to keep mud to a minimum.
Please also note that the car park charge will be £1.00 and refreshments will be available.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Wing – Chiltern Cross Country League Notice ~ Sunday, 28 December 2008

The fourth Chiltern Cross Country League fixture of the 2008/9 season will be held at the Cottesloe School, Wing on Saturday, 3 January. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow know so they can get an idea of numbers planning to go.

Links are provided here to maps giving overall directions to the Cottesloe School, Wing and a local street map of the area. According to the RAC Route Planner the journey to the Cottesloe School, Wing should take approximately one and a half hours covering a distance of some 49 miles.

Regarding this fixture please note the following:

Venue: The Cottesloe School is situated on the western edge of Wing, near Leighton Buzzard on Church Street. See the links to the maps above.

Timetable: The race start times are as per the normal programme as follows:

Parking: At the school. If approaching from Aylesbury on A418 use the entrance off the first island. If approaching from Leighton Buzzard on A418 use the main entrance in Church Street.
Please park with consideration for other athletes and village residents.

Public Transport: Buses run from Aylesbury, Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard, see Arriva website for times.

Facilities: Showers and changing for male and female.

Refreshments: Hot and cold food and drinks available – please support.

The Course: This is a grassland course with several hills. Spikes will be an advantage. The course is currently in reasonable condition but it is likely to be muddy in gateways as usual! However, the course has been modified to reduce the number of times through the difficult mud as much as possible, with the younger age groups in mind. Please respect the farmer’s land and fences, etc. This is a valued cross country course which we would like to use again!

50th Season Special Match: All finishers will receive a commemorative medal.

Presentations: As this match is a special one to celebrate our 50th season, there are prizes donated by Apex Sports which will be presented after the senior men’s race has finished.
There will be prizes for the individual winners of all ten races plus the first M40 M50 M60 F35 F45 F55 plus a few spot prizes.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2008 Xmas Caption Competition Result ~ Sunday, 28 December 2008

Thank you to everyone who entered our Xmas Caption Competition. The result of the Xmas Caption Competition is announced on the Competition webpage as well as providing a full list of all the entries.

Dene Stringfellow

top <2008 Xmas Caption Competition ~ Thursday, 18 December 2008

Don’t forget to enter the Xmas 2008 Caption Competition for £50 worth of prizes. The closing date for entries is Tuesday, 23 December. For the full competition details go to the Competition link in the navigation panel to the left. Have fun and let’s see what you can come up with!

Dene Stringfellow

top <New Year’s Day Club Winter Handicap Update ~ Friday, 12 December 2008

Please remember that the Winter Handicap event takes place on New Year’s Day starting at 11:15am from The Nelson pub in Wantage (– not at 11:00am as originally advertised in the September issue of the BiteSized Harrier). The start has been put back 15 minutes so that the scheduled finish of the race coincides with the opening of the pub. Common sense, really!

The route is about 4 miles long through Lockinge and Ardington and is mainly on road. This is a very informal event – just turn up, make some outlandish claims to try and justify a good handicap, and join in. Everyone is welcome to stay for a drink afterwards. The newly instigated Winter Handicap Trophy will be awarded to the winner. Any attempt to bribe the Handicapper can – and often does – earn the derision of the Race Supervisor as well as fellow competitors!

Just bear in mind by doing this event that by lunchtime on the 1st January you will already have achieved a 100% record for training every day in 2009.

Wishing you all a very festive Xmas and a happy New Year.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Harriers’ Oxfordshire Grand Prix Series Success ~ Monday, 8 December 2008

It was a pleasant and welcome surprise to learn at the Oxfordshire AA AGM held at Exeter Hall, Kidlington last Friday evening that the White Horse Harriers Men’s Team had won the Best Small Team prize in the Oxfordshire Road Race Grand Prix Series this year. This success is a reward for the consistent performances of the men throughout the road race season.

The trophy was presented to Dene Stringfellow by Will Atkinson (Oxon AA Road Race Secretary) and Graham Pickup (Officials Secretary – Endurance/Road Race) at the Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture held at Culham on Sunday.

Congratulations go to all our men who contributed to this well–earned and deserved success.

Dene Stringfellow

top <Culham Park – Oxford Mail Cross Country League Notice ~ Tuesday, 2 December 2008

The second Oxford Mail Cross Country League fixture of the season hosted by Headington Road Runners will take place at Culham Park on Sunday, 7 December. Please could any members planning to attend this fixture let either Frank Briscoe (01235 769214) or Dene Stringfellow (01235 868111) know.

The race start times are as follows:

The race venue is located at grid reference SU523966, with the entrance to the race is at grid reference SP526953, off the A415. A link to location maps is provided here. The journey to Culham Park should only take approximately 20-30 minutes at most from Wantage.

Please Note: There are no changing or toilet facilities at the course.

Dene Stringfellow

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