Do you like the idea of Trail running or racing, but don’t know where to start, want to compete but feel that your pace is too slow to count? Fear not, this may well be the event for you!
As well as being in the Red Rose Cross Country League, Todmorden Harriers are members of the West Yorkshire Winter League. This has been described as cross country, but it’s more of a series of trail races hosted by different clubs around West Yorkshire. From the description on the WYWL Facebook page:
The West Yorkshire Winter League is a team event over eight races during November to February of each year. There are currently 16 member clubs within the League: Idle AC, Pudsey Pacers, Leeds & Bradford Tri, Dewsbury RR, Baildon Runners, Stainland Lions, Skipton AC, Craven Energy, Queensbury RC, Stadium Runners, Todmorden Harriers, Northowram Pumas, South Leeds Lakers, Crossgates Harriers, Bramley Breezers and Methley Striders.
This is not your usual ‘around-the-field-eight-times’ cross-country racing. Our League is proper mud, sweat, hills, thrills & spills trail running.
And that is indeed correct. There’s mud to negotiate, rivers to cross, hills, some moorland, some woodland, no roads as far as I can recall. If you like trail racing then this is for you.
Most clubs enter upwards of 30 people, unfortunately Todmorden never fields that many, and consequntly we never do very well in the league, we would really like to change that and that’s where you come in. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to be fast to get points. Any of us can get points, even me last year, as the only female super vet, and only one of two female runners/vets entered for Todmorden, managed to get points for the team. It would be great to get a few more entrants this year, and especially more female runners veteran or otherwise.
Katie Samuelson was the other female runner, and on her way round she heard some members of one of the other clubs saying something along the lines of “Look at me running a race, this time last year I couldn’t even run!” The woman in question had done couch to 5K with her club, and was now taking part in the race. It’s really friendly, and you get to meet people from other clubs, for a wheeze and chat on the way round the courses. It’s definitely suitable for beginners, so any Monday group newbies would be most welcome. You do have to join Tod Harriers and buy a club vest though, as you must wear it when running.
There are 8 races to choose from, you pay to enter all of them which costs £20, and then you can choose which to take part in. All or none, but we’d prefer you did more than that. Entry is here:
The 2023/24 season’s race are hosted as follows:
Baildon Runners – 19th November @ 10:30am,
Queensbury RC – 3rd December @ 10am,
Bramley Breezers – 17th December @ 10am (Fancy dress),
Stadium Runners – 7th January @ 10am,
South Leeds Lakers – 21st January @ 10am,
Pudsey Pacers – 11th February @ 10am,
Stainland Lions – 25th February @ 10am and
Crossgates Harriers – 10th March @ 10am
So please come along and join us, you have 4 weeks remaining to sign up. If you want to know anything come and find me at the Monday group or at Wednesday’s Pack Run, or just email me at website@todharriers.co.uk