CROSS COUNTRY
2026/27 CROSS COUNTRY SEASON DETAILS
Thirsk & Sowerby Harriers take part in two cross country leagues, giving members plenty of opportunities to enjoy competitive off-road running throughout the autumn and winter. We compete in the PECO Cross Country League, a popular series of races involving clubs from across Yorkshire, and the North Yorkshire & South Durham (NYSD) Cross Country League, which brings together clubs from across North Yorkshire and the North East. Both leagues cater for a wide range of abilities, from experienced racers to those trying cross country for the first time, with a friendly club atmosphere and team competition adding to the enjoyment.
NORTH YORKSHIRE AND SOUTH DURHAM CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE
NYSD NUMBERS
Here are the NYSD Cross Country Numbers. Collect your number from our tent on your first race and hang on to it for the race season. You can do as many or as few across the season as you want. Best 5 races count for individual points in NYSD league.
THIRSK AND SOWERBY NUMBERS LINK 2026/27 – THE DOCUMENT WILL APPEAR HERE ONCE ROB HAS FULL NUMBERS FOR THIS YEAR
Anyone who hasn’t registered with us yet can still pick up a number on your first race. Come to the tent and bring your England Athletics URN.
Here’s a useful link to check your URN (just requires name and Date of Birth): https://ea-registration-check.myathletics.uk/
Numbers (Unaltered and not folded) must be attached to the front of your vest, T-Shirt or crop top with 4 pins. Runners with numbers pinned to legs, tri-belts or defaced are liable to disqualification.
2026/27 DATES for NYSD Cross Country
- Stewart Park, Middlesbrough — Sunday 4 October 2026 – Click here for Race Details
- Foxrush, Redcar — Saturday 31 October 2026 – Click here for Race Details
- Whitby — Sunday 22 November 2026 – Click here for Race Details
- Summerhill, Hartlepool — Sunday 6 December 2026 – Click here for Race Details
- Barnard Castle — Sunday 10 January 2027 – Click here for Race Details
- Richmond — Sunday 7 February 2027 – Click here for Race Details
- Darlington Relays — Sunday 21 March 2027 – Click here for Race Details
Championship Fixtures (Not organised by NYSD)
- NECAA (North East Champs), Venue TBC — Saturday 12 December 2026 – Click here for Details
- Northern Championships, Witton Park, Blackburn — Saturday 23 January 2027 – Click here for Details
- English National Championships, Newark, Nottinghamshire — Saturday 20 February 2027 – Click here for Details
Full rules and event details are here: https://www.nysd.org.uk/ – WARNING as at 22nd August this link is showing as not secure.
New Marske Harriers are hosting the NYSD website whilst it is broken and information can be found here: NYSD FIXTURES and NYSD RESULTS
IMPORTANT NOTICE
An entrant shall be deemed to have made him/herself/their self, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the 25th July 2025 whether or not the licence holder is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK
LEAGUE RULES
This link will open a pdf of the League Rules for 2026/27 – CLICK HERE
CLUB KIT
All members running in the event must be wearing the same design / colour of vest (T-shirt or crop top equivalents allowed).
PECO Cross Country League
We are delighted that the club has been accepted into the Peco cross country League!
This is great news, opening additional opportunities for runners during the winter training season.
Peco XC League races tend to be one loop events, around 4-5 miles, with men and women running the same course.
In our first year, we are eligible for individual prizes. Eligibility for team prizes will be reviewed next year, considering how many club members attended.
2026/27 DATES for PECO Cross Country
| 2026/27 – Dates and venues – subject to land owner approval | ||||
| 2026/27 | Date | Host | Assistant | Venue |
| Race 1 | 8th November 26 | STAC | Nidd Valley RR | Temple Newsam |
| Race 2 | 13th December 26 | Ackworth RR | Rothwell Harriers | Pontefract Park |
| Race 3 | 3rd January 2027 | Hyde Park / Kippax Harriers (co-hosts) | Middleton Park | |
| Race 4 | 31st January 2027 | Abbey Runners | Horsforth Harriers | West Park/Beckett Park |
| Race 5 | 21st February 27 | Chapel Allerton | Roundhay Runners | Roundhay Park |
| Relays | 7th March 2027 | Rothwell Harriers | Middleton Park | |
| AWARDS | TBA | |||
IMPORTANT NOTICE
To enter all 5 races and the relay event, it is just £17 for a season ticket which reduces to £10 after race 3 and to £7 after race 4. To encourage members to take part, the club will provide a £5 rebate to runners who buy a full 5 race season ticket. Please send your confirmation of entry to the club secretary with details of the bank account you paid it from to Natalie Lyth, at secretary@tasharriers.club
We have selected Roundhay Park race #5 on Feb 21st as part of our Championship for 2027. Members who want to just run this race can buy their season ticket after 31st Jan for £7 (no club subsidy will apply). This will allow you to run in the relay as well.
CLUB KIT
All members running in the event must be wearing the same design / colour of vest (T-shirt or crop top equivalents allowed).
2026 YORKSHIRE VETERANS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Date: Sunday, September 27th, 2026
Venue: Penistone Showground, S36 6DW
Host Club: Penistone Footpath Runners
Start Time: 12:00 midday / 13:20 (registration from 10:30am)
Entry Closes: Sunday 20th September
Full details can be found here: https://www.yvaa.org/event/cross-country-championship-2026/
WHAT IS A CROSS COUNTRY (XC) RACE? – Written by Lorraine Hiles TaSH Coach
Cross Country events are all off road and not even always on public footpaths. They often take place on private land that you wouldn’t normally get to run on. Terrain can vary from grassy parkland to muddy ditches, woodland and farmer’s fields. It can be flat, it can be hilly, there’s mud if you’re lucky…basically it’s a whole lot more fun than running on tarmac all the time. The routes are all taped/flagged and marshalled – no map reading, or navigation is required. There are no obstacles! It’s surprising that a number of people who will happily do things like the Whole Hog, Tough Mudder, Pretty Muddy and so on, can be put off by the idea of cross country. It may be muddy, but despite the occasional ditch or water feature, there’s no commando crawling under nets, people spraying hoses at you or great big walls to climb over!
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
The important thing to note, is that you MUST wear a club vest! This is in the rules for the league, and you won’t get a finish position if you don’t. In colder weather, you might prefer to wear a base layer underneath, but you can’t wear a jacket over the top as your vest needs to be visible. Arm warmers are another handy option.
Hat / buff and gloves are also useful in the colder months. Remember that you will warm up once you get going as with any run. A rule of thumb is to dress as though it’s 10 degrees warmer than it actually is.
Some runners always run in shorts, even in muddy, cold, winter cross country events. It’s a personal choice though and you can of course wear long or mid length tights if you prefer.
Here are a couple of things to consider:
Long tights may keep your legs warmer in theory, but once they get wet and muddy, they won’t dry so quickly, so it may actually have the opposite effect. Plus, you have to attempt to peel them off afterwards!! Mud dries pretty quickly on your skin and is easier to brush off. Shorts can flap around a bit in the wind and rain, especially if they are long / loose fitting, but are much easier to get off afterwards, and as mentioned above, once the mud on your legs dries a bit, you can just brush it off with an old towel.
FOOTWEAR: Spikes or trail shoes?
What are spikes? They are a type of shoe. They are very lightweight, no fancy cushioning or support, and have fixings in the sole that allow you to screw in removable metal spikes. They are generally much cheaper than road running shoes, as there is no cushioning or fancy technology, and there is little difference between the brands in terms of performance, it’s just a case of which brand you find fit you best or which pair you like the look of. Spikes will probably feel very different to your road shoes when you first put them on. They will probably feel uncomfortable underfoot on a hard surface as there’s no padding. The main thing to check is that they fit and that there’s a bit of room, so your toes don’t touch the end. The number of spike fixings can vary – usually between 4 and 6 per shoe. The spikes themselves come in various lengths and can be added and removed depending on the terrain you are running on. The shoes will come with a ‘spike key’ that you will need to loosen and tighten them into the sole fitting. In terms of what length to use, with really wet and muddy courses, and when it’s snowy, you will benefit from using longer spikes (15mm for example) whereas on firm ground or courses with lots of long grass, a long spike might get caught and trip you up, so a shorter spike would be preferable. It’s also worth remembering you can mix and match – put a longer spike in the front one or two holes to help with grip on hills etc, and shorter ones in the midfoot area.
FOOTWEAR: What about trail/fell shoes?
For many of the current courses, and in periods of relatively dry weather, trail or fell shoes will usually suffice. A trail shoe is more akin to a road shoe in terms of cushioning, weight and structure etc, but they generally have some sort of lug design on the sole to aid grip. Goretex versions provide some level of waterproofing, however, if you go through a puddle and water gets in over the top, then it doesn’t come out again quite so easily if you wear waterproof shoes (or socks) for XC. Just embrace the fact you are going to get wet feet regardless! Most shoe manufacturers include some form of ‘off road’ shoe in their collection. The choice of trail shoe ‘types’ is also a lot more complex than spikes. As with road shoes, there are a lot of different types. The main difference with trail shoes though, is that it is less about your foot type or pronation type, and more about the terrain you want to use them on. A shoe that works well in wet, muddy fields, won’t necessarily provide you with much grip on wet, slippery rocks in the Lake District. For cross country, a fairly generic multi-terrain shoe will work fine. Every runner should own a pair of trail shoes and get out there exploring our countryside! Once you discover the trails you won’t look back!
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO TAKE?
It’s worth remembering that facilities are often basic at cross country events. Some of the venues have indoor toilet facilities, but rarely have showers that are available for use. You may well end up wet and muddy and you can get cold pretty quickly afterwards.
- Old towels – useful for brushing off dried mud, wrapping round yourself if you’re trying to change in the corner of a tent, or sitting in the car if you’re wet (especially if someone else has given you a lift!). A spare one to stand on is often useful too.
- Baby wipes / flannel.
- Carrier bags/bin bag – for all those wet, muddy clothes and shoes.
- Spare hat and gloves for after the race – so you’ve got nice dry ones to keep you warm afterwards.
- Warm, dry clothes….don’t forget SOCKS.
- Spare shoes – Trainers for in the car / driving, walking boots/wellies for the venue and trail shoes or spikes to run in. Remember that you won’t be able to put your spikes on until just before the race, (and you can’t wear them inside) and you will need to walk to and from the car, in potentially muddy or wet conditions. The clean, dry shoes you wore to drive/travel in, may not be very clean or dry afterwards if you wear them at the venue. And if you’re in someone else’s car, they would probably be grateful if you at least try to keep it clean!
- On that note, if you’re driving a flashy new car, you may want to put some newspaper or something down, because however hard you try, shoes still manage to get wet / dusty / muddy somehow anyway.
- Waterproofs, including over trousers – in wet conditions it’s nice to at least try and stay dry before the race, and if you get changed into dry things after, you don’t want to get drenched again walking back to the car.
- SANDWICHES! – it’s basically lunchtime when you finish, and well past lunchtime by the time you change and get home.
- Flask of tea/coffee
HOW DO I TRAIN FOR CROSS COUNTRY?
Well running off-road on the trails will help you acclimatise to the differing terrain and a bit of hill training and anything that helps build strength and balance will help, but the other way to answer this question is you don’t necessarily need to. If you look at it the other way, cross-country races can actually be a useful winter strength building tool to set you up for your spring and summer racing. If you can run 5 – 10k through muddy, hilly fields, just think how light and speedy you are going to feel in comparison, when you are running on the roads!
The uneven terrain helps improve your proprioceptive system (your sense of body position and balance) particularly in your feet and ankles and the constant work your body is doing to stay upright will build your strength and endurance in ways you can’t get on the road.
The softer ground also gives your body a break from pounding tarmac all the time. This is also great for younger runners.
THERE IS MORE DETAILED TRAINING ADVICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
HOW DO I RUN IT?
Firstly, ditch the watch. XC is not about time or pace, and you cannot even remotely compare your pace at a XC, with the pace you would run the equivalent distance on the road.
It’s all about finishing position. You will start to learn who finishes around you, which clubs we need to beat, and it’s all about working your way through the field, one person at a time.
Secondly, try to run without thinking about it too much. Obviously, you need to look out for things like holes or tree roots that you might trip over, but generally speaking just run as naturally as you can. If there’s a puddle ahead, go through it. You’re going to get wet feet at some point, just embrace it, get it over with early in the race and then don’t worry about it for the rest of the course. Likewise, with muddy bits – just go for it straight through the middle. You can waste too much time trying to pick your way around the edges, and often end up just as muddy anyway. Technique wise, it helps to lift your feet up (think high knees) when going through puddles and muddy sections.
While you do need to look out for hazards on the ground, try not to look down at your feet, rather look a few metres ahead and your brain will do the rest. Downhill relax and use gravity to aid you, try not to brake too much, just relax and go for it! Running downhill is an art and the feeling of liberation you get from just letting go and flying down a hill is something to be experienced! Uphill, shorten your stride, pump your arms and again look ahead not down. On slippery sections, shorten your stride, speed up your cadence (fast feet!) and keep moving. The longer your foot is on the ground, the more likely you are to slip.
WHAT WILL YOU TAKE HOME?
A sense of pride for completing a XC race for your club regardless of your finishing position. This is especially true if it has been a difficult course or miserable conditions when you wouldn’t normally have bothered to go out for a run.
Camaraderie – let’s face it, even the most avid XC supporters amongst us have days where we start off thinking “why am I doing this?” but the fact you’re all part of a team, you’re running for your club and you’re all in it together makes it so much more worthwhile. Think of XC runners as being the equivalent of ‘away fans’ at a sports event – we’re really committed to supporting our club and when we’re at a fixture we’re all in it together. Plus, we get a lot more satisfaction from having made the effort and a great sense of achievement afterwards.
A fitter, stronger body…if a little tired! As mentioned above, cross country running is great strength training and will help you achieve your road racing goals.
Mud – it gets everywhere
WHERE AND WHEN ARE THEY?
All the details can be found at the top of this page – CLICK HERE
AGE GROUPS AND DISTANCES
ALL AGES CALCULATED AS FROM MIDNIGHT AUGUST 31st
(A) U11 GIRLS & BOYS Minimum age 8years – Distance approx. 1mile
(B) U13 GIRLS & U13 BOYS Age 11 but under 13 (School years 7 & 8) – Distance No more than 3.5K
(C) U15 GIRLS & U15 BOYS Age 13 but under 15 (School years 9 & 10) – Distance No more than 5K
(D) SENIOR LADIES
U17 GIRLS – Age 15 but under 17 (School years 11 & 12)
U20 LADIES – Age 17 but under 20
SENIOR LADIES – Age 20 but under 35
VET LADIES – 5 year increments from Age 35 to Age 99 i.e. V35 to V95
Distance No more than 6.5K
(E) SENIOR MEN
U17 BOYS- Age 15 but under 17 (School years 11 and 12) Run with SENIOR LADIES
U20 MEN – Age 17 but under 20
SENIOR MEN – Age 20 but under 40
VET MEN – 5 year increments from Age 40 to Age 99
V45 MEN – Age 45 but under 50
V50 MEN – Age 50 but under 55
V55 MEN – Age 55 but under 60
V60 MEN – Age 60 but under 65
V65 + MEN – Run with SENIOR LADIES
Senior men V65 and above have the option to compete in the Senior men’s race but will be classed as Over 60s for the purpose of individual points scoring and can only claim points in one category. The category cannot be swapped and changed during the season.
SENIOR MEN Distance No more than 10K
ORDER OF RACES
(1) Under 11 Boys & Girls
(2) Under 13 Boys & Girls
(3) Under 15 Boys & Girls
(4) Under 17, Under 20, Senior, Vet Ladies. Under 17 Men, Over 65 Vet Men
(5) Under 20, Senior, Vet Men
TEAM SCORING
Under 13, Under 15 Girls & Boys, Under 17 Men – First 3 runners home in each race count towards the team score.
Under 17, Under 20, Senior & Vet Ladies – First 4 runners home in each race count towards the Ladies team score regardless of age.
Under 20, Senior & Vet Men – First 6 runners home in each race count towards the Men’s team score regardless of age.
At each meeting the clubs are scored according to their points as follows:-
Under 13, Under 15 Boys & Girls, Under 17 Men – 8pts for First team, 6pts for 2nd, then down 5,4,3,2,1.
Senior Ladies – 20pts for First team, 18pts for 2nd, then 17 to 1pt.
Senior Men – 20pts for First team, 18pts for 2nd, then 17 to 1pt.
ALL MEETING SCORES COUNT TOWARDS THE FINAL TEAM TOTAL
Teams must have a minimum of 3 team scores to qualify for the League Trophy.
SCORING FOR INDIVIDUALS
First 10 runners to finish in each age group receive points from 10pts for First to 1pt for 10th
At the end of the season, the best 5 performances out of the 6 races are counted towards the individual’s final score.
Medals are awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each age category.
Individuals must compete in a minimum of 3 races to qualify for a medal.
Under 11 Girls & Boys, the best 5 performances out of 6 races are counted towards the individual’s final score.
TRAINING FOR CROSS COUNTRY – Written by Lorraine Hiles TaSH Coach
Cross country is an aerobic based long distance endurance event.
It requires the ability to change pace during the event and the dynamic use of lactate mid-race. The start is fast because there is a mass start and runners aim to gain a good place before the course narrows. This forces runners into anaerobic mode. The pace will be determined by the leaders and the faster start means that runners may fatigue easily and lose pace. The winners are patient and maintain a steady RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort). Finishing fast, a good fitness level and a good aerobic base are also important factors to consider with regard to training.
There are usually hills to run up and down which requires a change in energy systems and good leg strength.
The terrain is uneven and soft which requires conditioning and stability in the legs and core. The soft terrain reduces elasticity in the legs therefore making it harder to run.
Cross country requires a different tactical approach to other races because it based on finishing position not time.
TRAINING
Should be specific to the event therefore train off road.
Cross country courses usually have natural obstacles along the way e.g. trees, mud, hills therefore running is interrupted.
IMPROVING AEROBIC BASE
Aim to train to run greater than the race distance at a steady/slow pace.
AEROBIC INTERVALS
Run your efforts at a controlled pace/85-90% maximum heart rate/uncomfortable feeling. Your pace should be something that you can sustain for a relatively extended duration and consistent.
Use longer repetitions with short recoveries.
FARTLEK
This is continuous mixed pace running.
Mixed terrain and hills will force a change in pace simulating cross country.
This type of training develops your lactate threshold, lactate turning point and improves your ability to reutilise lactate into energy again. This in turn enables you to continue running and deal with surges in effort more efficiently.
Tip – If you walk the course before the race you will be able to plan where on the course you can put the surges in to your advantage.
SPEED WORK – INTERVAL /REPETITION TRAINING
= training for the fast starts and finishes.
-95% /very hard effort
These are short intervals, working the anaerobic energy system.
Ask the coaches for advice about this type of training.
Tip – Do very occasionally, make sure you do a good warm up before. This type of training requires long recoveries between reps and it’s recommended that this be run on a track, not off road.
Risk of injury if not performed correctly.
RUNNING UP HILL
This type of training will exercise the aerobic, lactate and alactic energy systems.
It is a form of strength and resistance training for the legs.
There is a reduction in the elastic energy in the legs when running uphill which therefore helps to strengthen the muscles.
A powerful arm drive will propel you up the hills.
Make sure you maintain good posture.
Steeper/short hills require more power and exercise the lactate and alactic energy systems. Make sure the hill isn’t too steep to run up!
Note – These should be short reps 5-45 seconds with longer recoveries.
Longer hills work the aerobic system, 90seconds-2-3 minutes.
Active recoveries running downhill or walk downhill to recover.
You can also try running steady up the first half of the hill then increase the effort and maintain on the top on the flat.
RUNNING DOWNHILL
Maintain control, avoid braking to reduce excessive load on the quadriceps muscles and knees.
Maintain an upright posture or lean slightly forward hinging at the ankles.
Avoid leaning backwards and avoid heel strike. Your feet should be active adding force where required.
Avoid over striding. Shorten strides and increase cadence/turnover.
Your arms should be active and used for balance.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TRAINING
Natural obstacles and varying terrain require ABC = Agility, Balance and Coordination which can be improved by strength and conditioning training.
Focus on lower legs;
Gluteal medius for stability- resistance band exercises, lunges, squats.
Calf and shin – calf raises
Ankle stability- single leg balance. Stand on one leg, link your hands together and draw the letters of the alphabet with your hands then do the same on the other leg. You will also notice that your glutes work too to stabilise your body.
Running drills – Cariocas/grapevine, lateral hops and jumps will help to cope with sudden changes in direction on the course.
TACTICS
Warm up – make sure you do a good warm up before the race including fast strides.
Walk the course, consider the weather/wind.
Footwear – spikes or trail shoes are recommended and you may want to tape them on if there’s a chance that you might lose a shoe!
Reference: How to train for Cross Country, Jo Wilkinson, England Athletics coach.