The Veterans Athletic Club (VAC) is the oldest, Veterans or Masters only, athletics club in the UK

Autumn and Winter 2018/2019 Fixtures

Date

Organiser

Race/Event

Venue

Entry

Entry Closing Date

Saturday

13 October 2018

Men’s Surrey League

Division 4

Cross Country Race Match 1

(VAC Men’s team)

Roundshaw Playing Fields, South Beddington,

CR0 4RW (approx. post code).

Approx. 5 miles (two laps)

Start time: 3pm

All VAC men (1st and 2nd claim) are eligible, subject to conditions (see text below). VAC vest. Enquiries: Entries Secretary or Team Manager Paddy Clark

Enter on the day. Advance notice to Paddy Clark

Saturday

3 Nov

2018

Loughton Athletic Club

Annual Vets Inter-Club Cross Country race

IG10 3LG.

Start time: 11am

Five mile course. Men and women. VAC members are invited to take part and form a team.

Enter on the day.

Saturday

10 Nov 2018

Men’s Surrey League

Division 4

Cross Country Race Match 2

(VAC Men’s team)

Epsom Downs

(Tattenham Corner)

Approx. 5 miles (two laps)

Start time: 3pm

All VAC men (1^st and 2^nd claim) are eligible subject to conditions (see text below). VAC vest necessary.

Enter on the day. Advance notice to Paddy Clark

Saturday

17 Nov 2018

BMAF and Country Associations of England, Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland and Republic of Ireland

British & Irish Masters International Cross Country Champs.

Swansea

South Wales

England team application forms are on EAMA website . See VAC website news item .

Closing date for England applications: 3 October.

Saturday

24 Nov

2018

South of the Thames Cross Country Association

(VAC is affiliated to the SOTCCA)

5 mile Cross Country Team Race

(VAC team – First Claim members only)

Morden Park

Start time 2pm

1st Claim VAC only

Names to

Entries Secretary
by 14 Nov for VAC team entry

Closing date for VAC team

14 Nov

Saturday

1 Dec

2018

Hercules Wimbledon and East Surrey League

(VAC is a member of the East Surrey League)

HW Inter-Club 5 mile Cross Country Race.

Also Match 2 of East Surrey League (Open to all VAC members)

Wimbledon Common

Start time: 11am

Race HQ: Lauriston Cottage, Lauriston Rd. Enter on the day. Free to enter. Enquiries to Entries Secretary

Enter on the day

Saturday

15 Dec 2018

South of the Thames Cross Country Association

(VAC is affiliated to the SOTCCA)

SOTCCA Championships

7.5 miles.

(VAC team – First Claim members only)

Beckenham Place Park

Beckenham Hill Gate, Beckenham Hill Road, BR3 1UH

Start time: 2pm

1st Claim VAC only

Names to

Entries Secretary
by 5 Dec for VAC team entry.

Closing date for VAC team

5 Dec

Saturday

12 Jan

2019

Men’s Surrey League

Division 4

Cross Country Race Match 3

(VAC Men’s team)

Oxshott Woods

Oxshott

KT22 0TA

Close to Oxshott Railway Station

Start time: 2.30pm. All VAC men (1^st and 2^nd claim) are eligible, subject to conditions (see text below). VAC vest necessary.

Enter on the day. Advance notice to Paddy Clark

Saturday

19 Jan

2019

VAC

VAC Cross Country Championships and Masters Open race (approx. 7km)

Men and women run together.

5 year age bands.

Medals for first three VAC/BMAF finishers in each age category

Wimbledon Common (Camp View end) SW19 4UL. Location and course map

After race: refreshments and awards at Belgrave Hall Denmark Road, SW19 4PG

Start time: 2pm

Cost £4 for VAC/BMAF area club members. Masters guests welcome: cost £5. UKA Permit: entrants must be registered with England Athletics. Enter via Member Login at BMAF OpenTrack (not yet open)

Online entry preferred but entry on day accepted

Saturday

9 Feb

2019

Men’s Surrey League

Division 4

Cross Country Race Match 4

(VAC Men’s team)

Lloyd Park,

Coombe Road,

Croydon

CR0 5RA

Start time: 12.30pm. All VAC men (1^st and 2^nd claim) are eligible, subject to conditions (see text below). VAC vest necessary.

Enter on the day. Advance notice to Paddy Clark

Saturday

16 Feb

2019

Hackney Marshes parkrun

5km parkrun

Featuring VAC “mob match” gathering.

Start near to Hackney Marshes Centre, Homerton Road, E9 5PF.

Course details

Start time: 9am

New parkrunners must register with parkrun to obtain a Barcode.

Enter on the day (but need your Barcode)

For other regional/national/international masters events refer to the BMAF website here

For enquiries and further information please contact the Entries Secretary or the relevant race secretary.

Surrey League Men’s Cross Country 2018-19

VAC men, first and second claimers, please consider running in the VAC team.

VAC’s team is in Division Four of the Surrey County Athletics Cross Country League. There are four matches in the series:

13 October 2018 (3pm): Roundshaw Playing Fields, South Beddington, CR0 4RW

10 November 2018 (3pm): Epsom Downs, Tattenham Corner end, KT18 5PP

12 January 2019 (2.30pm): Oxshott Woods, Oxshott, KT22 0TA

9 February 2019 (12.30pm): Lloyd Park, Croydon, CR0 5RA

First-claim VAC members are eligible to run for VAC. Also second claim members are allowed to run for VAC as long as they do not compete for their first claim club in any of the four league matches. This rule recognises that some athletes would prefer to provide much needed support and score in the first team for their Masters club in the less pressurised, but still highly competitive, races in Divisions Three and Four (run as one combined race of approximately 5 miles). Ten men are needed for a full scoring team, but there is no limit on the numbers in each team. The more runners we have, the greater the impact and team spirit. Every VAC runner is appreciated. Paddy Clark is the team manager. On the day, look out for him next to the big wooden VAC sign. The team declaration is made online beforehand, so please let him or the Entries Secretary know in advance of each race if you are planning to run for VAC. Please wear a VAC vest, obtainable from the VAC kit supplier. Details are on the Club Kit tab on the VAC website.

VAC “mob match” parkruns

We combine VAC get-togethers with selected parkruns, three or four times a year. Many VAC members are regular parkrunners, who enjoy an early start on Saturday mornings and the conviviality and informality of the weekly runs in all sorts of locations, whilst benefiting from free entry and a measured 5k course. All ages and abilities are represented at these timed runs. The VAC targeted parkruns are an opportunity for VAC’s first and second claim runners to meet up, run and chat afterwards. We hope to see a good show of VAC vests so we can cheer each other on and raise the profile of the club. If members have recommendations or favourites in and around the London area, with good links to public transport, please make suggestions to Maggie Statham, the Entries Secretary.

If you are new to parkruns, you must register in advance on the parkrun website and obtain your individual barcode, which must be shown at the end of the run in order to register your name and time. Entry is free. You do not need to pin on a run-number. Just turn up, line up at 9am, run, take a numbered disc when you finish and then take the disc and your barcode to the recorders at their table. Your time, position, age category and age grading will appear on the parkrun website later in the day. If you are already registered with parkrun, there is no need to change your club affiliation to VAC for the purposes of these “mob matches”. We can usually pick out the VAC members.