CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 ⇒ OVERVIEW

EXPLANATION & ETHOS

⇒ The Club Championship consists of 15 events, plus the 'Any Marathon (Or Greater) Distance Event' and the 'Cross Country Bonus Event', which includes all five of the JOHN H COLLINS CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE fixtures of 2019 and the Welsh Cross Country Championships - , with varying distances and terrain, spread throughout the year. Individuals do not need to complete all 15 races, as individuals’ final positions will be based on their 6 best events.

⇒ When selecting events, a number of considerations were made, including: • Having a range of different types of events, i.e. Distance, terrain etc. • Event capacity and thus capability for individuals to have a fair opportunity to obtain an entry • Event costs have also been considered, with the majority of events not being prohibitively expensive • Having a range of local events • Having a range of week days on which events take place

⇒ The Club Championship is inclusive and encourages friendly rivalry within individuals’ training groups and across the club as a whole. It also encourages individuals to try different types of events, that they may not otherwise have considered.

⇒ Each event will be ranked by one of the following methods: • Finishing Position • Time • Participation Points - See additional Points League conditions point (further below)

⇒ Each event will then be scored in accordance with the rankings (i.e. Points are allocated from 150 for first place, down to 1 for 150th place [Men / Ladies are scored separately] - If there are more than 150 participants, each of the individuals ranked below 150 will score 1 point each).

⇒ For the Points League, individuals will be split by the following age categories (They remain in the age category in which they begin the calendar year), with Cups being awarded to individuals that achieve the most points within their given Age Category: • Men: Male Senior / MV35 / MV40 / MV45 / MV50 / MV55 / MV60 / MV65 / MV70 • Ladies: Female Senior / FV35 / FV40 / FV45 / FV50 / FV55 / FV60 / FV65 / FV70

⇒ The Club Championship is split into 3 main competitions: • Points League - 6 best events • LPF (Level Playing Field) League - 6 best events • Age-Graded League (LPF Adjusted) - Average Age-Grade (LPF Adjusted), across all 15 events (at least 6 events must be completed to qualify)

⇒ The following additional conditions appiy to the Points League only: • The completion of any marathon or ultra (greater in distance than a marathon) event, at any point throughout the year achieves a one-off 150 bonus points (this is in included as one of an individuals' 6 best events) • The completion of 4 'Cross Country Bonus Event' events achieves a one-off 140 bonus points, completion of 5 achieves a one-off 150 bonus points and completion of all 6 achieves a one-off 160 bonus points (this is included as one of an individuals' 6 best events)

⇒ There is also an Age-Graded League, which lists all individuals' results, sorted by average Age-Grade (LPF Adjusted). This only includes timed events, i.e. Those which can have an Age-Grade calculated for them. • Age-Grades are calculated using the WMA 2015 tables (Road), maintained by Alan Jones (except parkrun, which uses its own calculations, based on the WMA 2010 tables)

⇒ New for 2020, there is a 'Worst Of' event, in November (Event #12). Places are limited on the two dates available for this event, so for individuals that do both dates if both dates their slowest time will count towards the championship. This will hopefully discourage entry into both sub-events.

⇒ Additionally, especially high participation will receive recognition. Any individual who completes 12 or more events will receive the ‘Rainbow Shoelaces Award’ (i.e. A pair of rainbow-themed shoelaces!).

⇒ As usual, there is the annual 'Race Face' Award - to be decided by poll in November / December. Please submit your nominations for this throughout the year!

RULES & PROCEDURES

⇒ Only events participated in after the individual has become a member, will count.

⇒ Only events where the individual is representing / will count.

⇒ All individuals should have attempted to have completed at least one Newport parkrun () in 2019, from which they can submit a 5K / parkrun time for the LPF League. See the 'A BIT MORE ABOUT LPF...' section (below), for further explanation. Where this hasn't been possible, or members joined on on or after 1st January, 2020 / transferred in from others clubs - members should attempt to complete such a parkrun at the earliest opportunity and / or provide (able to evidence) a closest equivalent 2019 5K / parkrun time.

⇒ In 2018, the LLISWERRY RUNNERS & caerleon running club committees took the decision that running under someone else’s entry will not be allowed within the club championship. Any results attempted to be entered in this way, will not be allowed.

⇒ In support of the Best December Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 event and the parkrun ethos in general: Individuals should make an attempt to volunteer at Newport parkrun (Tredegar House) / Riverfront parkrun, in 2020.

⇒ There is no cut-off date for individuals wanting to take part. However, individuals should be aware that they need to complete 6 events to be able to qualify for awards. The 'Any Marathon (Or Greater) Distance Event' & 'Cross Country Bonus Event' can be included as one of the 6 events.

⇒ Results will continue to be proactively collected for the club championship. However, responsibility for missing results will not be taken that are the result of individuals having failed to identify themselves as club members at the point of registration / on official results. In these cases, individuals are required to notify of their participation in the event.

⇒ Similarly, responsibility will not be taken for searching multiple events throughout the year, for the ‘Any Marathon (Or Greater) Distance Event’ results. Again, individuals are required to notify of their participation in these events.

⇒ All such correspondence should be sent to the following e-mail address: [email protected]

⇒ In the event of any league finishing in a draw, the individual with the most total points will win. If this still doesn't determine a winner, joint winners will be declared.

⇒ If any event results in unusable results etc. (e.g. Cowbridge 10k, in 2019): Points will be allocated based on the average (Mean) points scored by each individual, across the events they’ve already completed prior to this one. The same approach will be used for allocating the Age-Grades for each individual.

⇒ The City of and JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE Fixture 5 (2019 - 2020) both take place on the same day. Individuals can choose to take part in both events, but only the City of Newport Half Marathon points will count; none will count towards the 'Cross Country Bonus Event'.

⇒ Regular updates will appear on the website & facebook page, with awards presentations in January.

A BIT MORE ABOUT LPF…

⇒ Unlike the Points League, the LPF (Level Playing Field) League is based on an individual’s performance against their times. Even if an individual thinks they are one of the slowest runners, they can still win the LPF League!

⇒ It works by using an individuals’ previous year's best Newport parkrun (Tredegar House) time to estimate times (a bit like setting a handicap for the individual).

⇒ If you run your estimated time exactly, you’ll get 100.0 points, if you were 1% faster, you’ll get 101.0 points, and so on. (if you are interested, the estimated times are calculated using the Riegel formula).

⇒ Estimated times are adjusted by the relative difficulty of each event.

⇒ For those that are interested, the formula is as follows: ('Best Riverfront parkrun Time (Previous Calendar Year)' x ((Event Distance [K] / Riverfront parkrun Distance [K]) ^ Riegel exponent [1.06])) / Event Time) x (1 / multiplying factor)

EVENTS

Cost Distance Distance Event Age-Graded Ranking (Affiliated, Month Date Event Location (Male) (Female) Terrain Website # League Method where [K] [K] applicable)

1 January Wednesday, 15 January 2020 Club Championship Launch Night 2K Time Trial , Velodrome Way, NEWPORT, NP19 4RA 2 2 Track ✔ Time Link Free

Finishing 2 March Sunday, 1 March 2020 City of Newport Half Marathon Commercial Street, Newport 21.08241 21.08241 Road Link £32.00 ✔ Position Finishing 3 March Sunday, 29 March 2020 BAY RUN Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay 10 10 Road Link TBC ✔ Position Finishing 4 May Friday, 8 May 2020 DEVAUDEN RACES - 10K Village Hall, Devauden, NP16 6PQ 10 10 Trail Link TBC ✔ Position Finishing 5 May Saturday, 9 May 2020 CARDIFF 5K - RACE FOR VICTORY Whitchurch Village, Cardiff 5 5 Road Link £15.00 ✔ Position Finishing 6 May Friday, 29 May 2020 Cardiff Summer Series 1 2 3 4 - Race 2 Spine Road, Pontcanna Fields, Cardiff 3.21869 3.21869 Road Link TBC ✔ Position Cross Finishing 7 June Saturday, 20 June 2020 RABBIT RUN Merthyrmawr Road, Merthry Mawr, , CF32 0LR 11.5873 11.5873 Link TBC Country ✔ Position

June, 2020 Finishing 8 June The Blade Runner Manmoel Road, Oakdale, CAERPHILLY, NP11 3BG 10.4607 10.4607 Road Link TBC (Date TBC) ✔ Position Finishing 9 July Sunday, 12 July 2020 MIC MORRIS TORFAEN 10K Cwmavon Road, Blaenavon 10 10 Road Link £22.00 ✔ Position

Abbey Mill, Wye Valley Centre, Tintern, , Finishing 10 July Thursday, 2 July 2020 Tintern Trot 9.65606 9.65606 Road Link TBC NP16 6SE ✔ Position

August, 2020 Finishing 11 August Brecon LIONS 10 Mile Road Race Brecon Leisure Centre, Brecon 16.0934 16.0934 Road Link TBC (Date TBC) ✔ Position

August, 2020 12 August Crooked Mile City footbridge, near the University of South City Campus 1.60934 1.60934 Road Time Link Free (Date TBC) ✔

Finishing 13 October Sunday, 4 October 2020 Cardiff , Cardiff 21.08241 21.08241 Road Link TBC ✔ Position

November, 2020 Worst Severn Bridge 5 Night Race Time (Date TBC) - Date 1 Upton Memorial Ground, Lower Western Avenue, Chepstow, 14 November 8.04672 8.04672 Road Time Link TBC MONMOUTHSHIRE, NP16 5NW ✔ November, 2020 Worst Severn Bridge 5 Night Race Time (Date TBC) - Date 2

Best Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 Saturday, 5 December 2020 - Sub-Event ＃1

Best Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 Saturday, 12 December 2020 - Sub-Event ＃2

Best Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 15 December Saturday, 19 December 2020 The Riverfront, Kingsway, NEWPORT, NP20 1HG 5 5 Road Time Link Free - Sub-Event ＃3 ✔

Best Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 Friday, 25 December 2020 - Sub-Event ＃4

Best Riverfront parkrun Time in December, 2020 Saturday, 26 December 2020 - Sub-Event ＃5

Any Marathon (Or Greater) Participation Various Various Various ≧42.195 Various Various Various Distance Bonus Event ✘ Points (150)

JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE Saturday, 8 February 2020 Chepstow Racecourse, St. Lawrence Rd, CHEPSTOW, NP16 6BE Link Free Fixture 4 (2019 - 2020)

Saturday, 22 February 2020 Welsh Cross Country Championships - Pembrey Pembrey Park, LLANELLI, SE16 0EJ Link TBC

JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE Sunday, 1 March 2020 Singleton Park, Mumbles Roadd, Sketty, SWANSEA, SA2 8PY Link Free Cross Country Fixture 5 (2019 - 2020) Cross Participation Various Various ✘ Bonus Event October, 2020 JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE Country Points (Graded) TBC Link Free (Date TBC) Fixture 1 (2020 - 2021)

November, 2020 JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE TBC Link Free (Date TBC) Fixture 2 (2020 - 2021)

December, 2020 JOHN H COLLINS GWENT CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE TBC Link Free (Date TBC) Fixture 3 (2020 - 2021)