Cross Country or XC season begins in late September and finishes in March and NFR takes part in the North East Harrier League (NEHL) series of races each year.

Runners must belong to a club to take part and, as luck would have it, you are all eligible! You must wear your club vest or t-shirt to compete and you are issued with a race number which lasts for the whole season whether you run just one race or all of them, so don’t lose it! The races take place at different venues across the North East, with a wide variety of terrains included, but all are off-road and trail running shoes or spikes are needed. Races in recent years have taken place around: Wrekenton, Druridge Bay, Aykley Heads, Temple Park, Thornley Hall Farm, Alnwick Castle and Lambton Estate.

The races are run with a Handicap System which means the slow pack starts first, followed by the medium and fast packs at 2.5min intervals. The senior men’s race is around 6mi and consists of 3 loops with the senior women’s race being around 4mi and consisting of 2 loops, the senior women run before the senior men. You don’t have to be a particular standard to take part, all abilities are represented. There are strict rules and you could be disqualified for wearing someone else’s number, not wearing club colours and other reasons.

The league is divided into Divisions and runners are awarded points depending on where they finish with the points being added together for each team of 6 males or 4 females. The teams are then ranked in the division which they are in. Individual runners or incomplete teams also play a part in the ranking! That being said, it’s not all about times and rankings… it’s the fun of taking part and sometimes just getting it done.

Many of our runners consider this a social event, as we congregate in the club tent sheltering from the elements, eating cake & biscuits whilst drinking a hot cuppa and comparing how hard that hill was and who has the most mud on them emerging only to discover everyone else has packed up and left!

If you love mud, message Jo Morrissey for more information about how to take part.