Winter Senior Handicap

The Werrington Joggers Senior Handicap is a set of races/time trials that are run from Werrington Sports Centre, and available to all members to join on the day. The races are organised as a series intended to allow everyone to test themselves against their predicted time, and at each race prizes are awarded for the runner who betters their predicted time the furthest.

The predicted times are based on your best 5k or 10k time, and then calibrated for the one-and-a-half mile course. During the series as you build up a set of results the predicted time gets more and more accurate, and beating it gets more difficult. Its a self-correcting system allowing for the occasional poor run without skewing the results.

The races are all run on a handicap basis - the faster runners starting last, and attempting to chase down the earlier starters. In theory, if everyone brings their best racing legs on the night, we should all cross the finish line together.

Organisation and Parking

Parking is in the Werrington Centre car park where we park for normal Tuesday club nights. Useful to get a bit of shopping done afterward :-)

Runners are asked to meet in the sports centre to register for each race, with new runners needing to get there at about 18:30 to have their details entered into the computer system. Runners who have been already registered can arrive slightly later. In order for the system to calculate start times, handicaps and allow for the run to start at 19:00 there is a 'hard' cutoff time for registration - after which you can run, but wont get a race number or a result.

The registration is all done in the warm and dry leisure centre. There isn't a bag-drop, but since your likely to have parked your car, just leave it all in there.

The Course

The Winter Handicap is a one-and-a-half mile cycle path, starting about 5 minutes walk from the sports centre near the junction of Foxcovert Road and Hall Lane, opposite one of the entrances to Werrington Park. The route is straight up Foxcovert, to near the underpass with Davids Lane, a sharp left turn onto the 'triangle' which we then run twice, and finally a short section from the Triangle by the skate park back onto Foxcovert. The finish is next to the leisure centre entrance.

The route is lit all the way but isn't especially bright, and there are bollards on the cycle paths to be aware of, and of course, other path users to be polite to. If its your first time its worth getting there a bit earlier and having a quick jog down the section between the start and the turnoff for the triangle, to make sure you are aware of the hazards. However - having said that, the volunteers who organise the run will sometimes have someone on the triangle/Foxcovert junction.

On The Day

It was a chilly, but dry, night on Thursday and a modest group of runners got registered ready for the off. The gap between first and last runner was around 8 minutes and the race organiser calls each runner to the start line a few seconds before their allotted start time - so it pays to not stray too far during your warm up. Helpfully you can leave a small amount of clothing in a bag at the start on colder nights, so you can leave it quite late before stripping down any extra layers.

Sometimes another running club use the Triangle for their winter speed training, but they are largely finishing up by the time we run our event, and there is little likelihood of congestion.

Since this is a mile-and-a-half you can make it as tough or easy as you like, and depending on your mood you can really 'go for it' or just treat it as a nice social event. I personally like to give it a bash and see how fast I can run it, but each to their own :-)

Of course, this wouldn't happen at all without the volunteers who organise it all; Denise Fassler ably supported by a moveable cast of marshals and assistants on the day including, Tim, Caroline, Carol, Emma, and Noah.