Tuesday 9-Jul-2013  [DATE TBC]

Meet between 6:30pm & 6:45pm, race at 7pm

Please note that this is a closed event for Spectrum Striders RC club members only (plus a few invited guests).

The start is at Birchwood railway station.  The finish is on the other side of the Birchwood Centre, on the path near the rear of the Birchwood Tennis Centre.

Please arrive in good time so that we can get the numbers issued in time for the first runners to be off at 7pm.

Runners will be meeting afterwards at the Birchwood Tennis Centre.   There will be a small buffet – buy your own drinks!  [Long standing members please note:  there is no need to bring a prize to exchange – we have not done that in recent years.]

A large number of people turned up on the night without prior warning in 2011, which made handicapping & organisation very difficult for Janet & David.

Race information

The 5k Handicap is usually run on a summer Tuesday evening when the track is not available for our track training.  It is sometimes followed either by a visit to the pub or by a more formal social event.  We normally meet at 6:45pm (latest) in the car park at Birchwood railway station so that we can get the numbers issued, before the first runners go off at 7pm.

Again in 2013, if we don't know about you in advance, then you can race but you won't get an official handicap place.  However you will be timed.

• If you have registered in advance, then you will be allocated a handicap start time and you will be part of the handicap.
• If you haven't registered in advance, there will be a "red start" time for the slower runners (about 10 mins after the first runner) and a "blue start" for the faster runners. But you will get a finish time!

Please note:

• If you have run with the Spring Training Initiative and haven’t yet run a race, you are still welcome to run the Handicap.
• If you’ve done any of the 5k series, the Christleton 5k or our Ladies 5k then Janet & David will already have your time but they would still like you to register.

How it works

For those who have not done this race before, the slowest runners start first followed at regular intervals by faster runners, with the fastest runners starting last.  If the handicapper gets it right, everyone will finish at almost the same time!

Starting from the 2012 race, if you turn up on the night without registering in advance, you will be put in one of two starts - the "red" start for slower runners or the "blue" start for faster runners.  Runners in the red & blue starts will be timed but will not get a handicap placing.

The route was properly measured during the 2000's and can now count for club 5k records.  A route map & route details are at the bottom of the page.

Even if you are a "back of the pack" runner, do give it a try.  It's your chance to actually win a race!  There is a trophy for first man and first woman, and they are rarely won by the quicker runners as they get fair (but challenging) handicaps.

2012 race on Tuesday 10-Jul-2012 from 7pm

Many thanks to Janet & David Redpath for once again organising the handicap.

The handicapping was again pretty accurate as 36 of the 42 runners finished in a window of just 2 min 17 secs!

Many thanks to all of the helpers – Anne & Les Hewitt,  Christine & John Ramsdale, Michelle & Bill Bradley, Marie Alcock, Kit Whitfield, Peter Haley, Angela Bradley, Chris Millington, Mick Charman, Pat Dooley, Julia Coles, Linda Owen, Sheree Hand, Dave Thompson.  Apologies if we've missed anyone out.

Thanks to all of the runners for registering in advance this year.  It made the organisation so much easier on the night.

Fastest runners on the night were Liz Whitfield and Chris Dawson.

Les Hewitt took a video of the finish, which has been uploaded to Youtube.  Add 36 mins to the video time stamp and you get the approximate race time.

Also, Chris Millington was taking photos.

2011 race on Tuesday 12-Jul-2011 from 7pm

The total of 60 runners was easily the largest field we've had in the history of the event, which was first run in 1987.  We have not had over 50 runners before.

Acknowledgements

Major thanks to Janet & David Redpath for organising the event.  A large number of people turned up on the night without prior warning this year, which made handicapping & organisation very difficult.

Thanks to all of the marshals & helpers: Louise Dempster, Steve Martin, Carol Stynes, Angela Bradley, Steve Pickford, Anne & Les Hewitt, Michelle & Bill Bradley & Matthew, John Owen, Julia Coles, Claire Bursnoll, John Ramsdale - if I've missed anyone out I apologise!  Also, thanks to Barry Allman & Robin Greenwood who offered to give up their run to marshal if we were short of marshals.

Results

Fastest woman was Liz Whitfield, fastest man was Mike Welsby.

Race route

To see the route in Google Maps, so that you can zoom in on particular parts of it, please click here.

The route goes along the pavement from the Birchwood Railway Station, turning right after about 150 yards along the Brook Park.  At about 1¼ miles, enter the Forest Park under the subway, then bear right and run round the top of the Forest Park on the footpath past the Ranger Centre, then return towards the school in the opposite direction to the Summer Muster.

At about 2½ miles, go straight on through "Red Square", straight on over the footbridge, then bear right on the path (not left towards the walled garden).  Turn left at the underpass onto the footpath up the hill towards Birchwood High School.  On the other side of the footbridge, instead of going down the steps into the school, bear left at the rear of the school staying on the path and down to the finish.