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Birmingham & District Invitation Cross Country League 2019/2020 Season Division One ReportDate Saturday 9th November 2019Host Clubs Northbrook AC Sphinx AC and Nuneaton HarriersVenue: Coundon Hall Park- CoventryThe first fixture which was due to take place at the Malvern Common Worcester but was cancelled at short notice. Tony French and the host clubs kindly agreed that the division 1 fixture could be held at the same venue as the Men’s Division 3 and the women’s cross country league.FacilitiesChanging rooms and porto loos were available by the car park area. Mobile catering was on site selling refreshment, officials were allocated a refreshment ticket.Car ParkingAs the race was due off at 11.30am and teams were told to car share we had enough space to accommodate the number of teams arriving from 9.30am. RegistrationA tent was located near the start for registration shared by division one and the three secretaries. Officials signing in and the collection of numbers were also available in the same location. A race permit and course map information was available inside the tent for inspection. WeatherThe weather was overcast and cloudy but dry with rain arriving after our race had finished.Course 10KThe course was three laps but was slightly modified and was close to 9.2k. I walked the course with Terry Alcock division three Referee Stewart Barnes and Mary Williams from the women’s league. It was decided not to let the athletes run through the spinney section of the course for safety reasons. Tony French made the necessary adjustments all athletes were informed on the start line before the race started.A few extra stakes were needed in some parts of the course and a bit more taping in some sections but otherwise the course was well marked. The race was in the grounds of the Coundon park over soft grassland with one gradual uphill climb with few twist and turns the ground was very boggy in some areas due to heavy rain in the week. This made the course more challenging but the runners had no complaints.MarshalsOne of the request imposed by the host clubs was division one had to provide a race director and a chief marshal for our own race chairman Noel Butler took on the role at short notice. Thankfully we had plenty of marshals from the clubs they all wore hi vis jackets and were situated in all the key areas around the course no athlete went off course. I would like to thank Noel Butler all the marshals and Tony French and his team of helpers who help set up the course. Start/Finish/FunnelThe start area was adequate but no assembly or start line was marked out we managed to get the start line marked a start flag was already in place. The finish funnel and exclusion zone was a good length with two funnels as we had a women race later in the day but only one funnel was used. No finish line was marked out but we eventually got it marked in time before the races started. OfficialsAll the league officials were present on the day and carried out their duties accordingly. Only one of the non-hosting club did not report for duty and therefore had 200 penalty points added to their score. This was disputed at the end of the race by the team manager but the decision stood.First AidMedi Events only had one minor incident to clean up a wound on an athlete leg.RaceBefore the race a few words was said by Bill Adcocks in memory of the passing of Basil Heatley. A 30sec silence was observed by all in memory of one of the leagues highly decorated performer.For the first race of the season the League President Richard Sannwald was in attendance and he had the honour of starting the first race of the 2019 - 2020 season. The race was a one two for Birchfield in a close finish 1st Will Richardson 30.02 2nd Omar Ahmed 30.04 3rd Tom Drabble University of Birmingham 30.54. We had 253 finishers compared to 300 last year considering it was stage at short notice it was a good turnout.Big thanks must go to the league secretary Ray Morgan for getting the race on in conjunction with Division three without their support we would not have had a race. Noel MckaklyDivision One Race Referee Birmingham & District Invitation Cross Country League 2019/2020 SeasonReferee’s Report Division ONE & Division THREEDate Saturday 7th December 2019Host Clubs City of StokeNew Venue: Betley Court Farm Crewe CheshireA new venue for the league and a new host City of Stoke, although we had detailed directions to the venue some of us missed the turning entrance to the farm. This was because they had not put out any entry signs to the farm by the time some of the league officials arrived at 11.00am. This was quickly pointed out on arrival and the host were very apologetic and made sure signs and car park volunteers were in position before the rest of the visiting teams and officials arrived.FacilitiesNo changing room facilities was available on the farm on the day but teams were given advance notice with the information sent out prior to the race. Six porto loos was on site which coped with the amount of people at the venue. A mobile catering unit was in attendance selling refreshments on the day. Car ParkingPlenty of parking space for cars and coaches was available on the day, the farm is used for hosting large events and has recently accommodated up to 1000 vehicles for the Betley Bonfire . RegistrationRay Morgan tent was located at the end of the funnel and was used for teams registrations and officials signing in for division one and three and the midland womens division two fixture. Race permit was located on the table within the tent and a risk assessment was seen by the Referee prior to the race. WeatherMild overcast and dry at the start and during the race.CourseI arrived at 11.00am and inspected the course with Chris Hitchman race Referee for the women’s race and Mary Williams. The majority of the course was already put out from the previous day apart from the start and finish. The course was situated on farm grassland rugged in some areas undulating in some parts mainly soft underfoot a few divots as expected on farm land with a couple of dirt tracks suitable for spikes. We discovered three areas with rabbit holes that were a hazard to the runners, we removed the cones that were covering the holes and staked and roped off the area around the holes.. The course was staked and roped in most areas of the course and we were told marshals would be in place at the corners and next to a loop section on the course. One area that was overlooked was the run in to the finish a splitter section was needed to separate the athletes finishing and those continuing to start the next lap. This was quickly put in place with extra stakes and ropes used to add this section on to the course an extra marshal was requested. Marshals The host provided plenty of marshals who wore hi vis bibs and were all located in the key areas around the course. On the day no athletes went off course in the women and men’s race. I did have a complaint at the end of the women’s race that the men were warming up and running on the course during their race which was unsatisfactory.Start/Finish/Funnel We had a large enough start area for the races but no start flag athletes were also asking me the location of the start several times. An assembly and start line was put in place with sawdust. The finish funnel was not assembled it was left for the officials to set up. It was decided the previous day to have a two funnel layout it was the right length as I requested 70m. Ray Morgan and Terry Alcock brought in extra stakes to ensure we could layout the funnel to the correct specification as requested. Although the host had not got a finish flag Ray Morgan had a spare set of flags we borrowed for the finish. It was mentioned for future races to invest in some start and finish signs or flags.OfficialsWe had officials and club volunteers from division one and division three. Terry Alcock division three Referee was my Assistant Referee on the day. We used two funnels which meant we needed extra people to act as funnel stoppers funnel marshals and judge recorders for both funnels. We did not use discs as we did not have enough to cover both divisions. This meant we did not need two people to hand out discs or collect envelopes so those volunteers were used to cover the above duties. Terry Alcock and Graham Allen where responsible for the switching of the funnels as athletes approached the finish this was carried out with little fuss in a calm assured manner. It was a major factor in getting the athletes into the right funnel at the right time which helped ease pressure off the recorders trying to identify which runners were from division one and which runners were from division three. All the volunteers from division one signed in on time and attended the briefing for their re-arranged duties. Division three also provided officials and volunteers and those that turned up were also briefed at the same time. Coventry Triathletes and City of Birmingham were allocated volunteer duties but both clubs did not attend the fixture, we still managed to cover their officiating duties on the day. A big thank you to all the officials and club volunteers from division one and division three for their support they carried out their duties very well on the day.First AidJola Medical provided two first aiders with a 4x4 vehicle. First aid was only administrated once at the end of the race for a male athlete that needed an ice pack for his knee.RaceThe race was a joint fixture with division three the athletes from division three were warmly welcomed at the start of the race.Results: Division One 1st Michael Ward University of Birmingham 30.49 2nd Charlie Davis University of Birmingham 30.57 3rd Peter Brookes Tipton Harriers 31.16 Division Three 1st Chris McLeod Solihull & Small Heath A.C 31.41 2nd Keelan Hopewell Solihull & Small Heath A.C 33.53 3rd Sylvian Letendart Tamworth A.C 34.38 Division One – 219 finishers compared with 293 finishers in 2018 Division Three – 157 finishers(5 clubs did not turn up) compared with 242 finishers in 2018The feedback from the athletes was a positive one with athletes saying it was really good course.I would like to thank Kevin Hendricken and all the volunteers from the host club in putting on the ladies race at short notice and agreeing for both division one and three to race at the same venue on the same day.Noel MckaklyDivision One Race Referee Birmingham & District Invitation Cross Country League 2019/2020 Season Division One ReportDate Saturday 11th January 2020Host Clubs Rugby & NorthamptonVenue: Abington Park NorthamptonThe race was held at the usual venue within the Abington Park NorthamptonFacilitiesNo changing rooms were available as the school was closed for building work. Four porto loos were available near the entrance to the park.. No catering/refreshments were put on by the host club on the day.Car ParkingParking was limited to street parking around the Abington ParkRegistrationRay Morgan pitched his tent at the end of the funnel which was used for registration collecting numbers envelopes and officials signing in. A race permit was shown to the race Referee and left with the secretary for inspection for anyone who wanted to see it. Weather A very windy day partly cloudy a little drizzle of rain before the start but it stopped when the race started.Course: Four Laps 9.7kI walked the course with Chris Hitchman Assistant Referee a few adjustments were made, a manhole was on the running course and a large rabbit hole was another hazard. Both were fixed in good time by Chris and myself and the host were made aware of the changes. The course had to cross some tarmac footpath which needed matting or bark chippings to protect athletes footing. I advised the host it is a requirement to have this on courses with tarmac but none of this was available on the day. The rest of the course was undulating in some parts with a deceiving uphill drag past the start and finish, muddy in a few places but soft under footing, testing course. MarshalsThe host provided an adequate number of marshals all wearing yellow hi vis bibs.Thanks to Vince Carroll and all the team from Rugby & Northampton on putting on the race.Start/Finish/FunnelThe start line and finish line was marked out in good time. Start and finish signs were in place and they did not blow away considering how windy it was. The funnel was not long enough so we had to borrow more stakes from the start area to extend the funnel it also needed an exclusion zone but not enough stakes were available. OfficialsAll the non- hosting clubs and allocated league officials signed in and attended the Referee briefing on time. The majority were at the previous match so they all knew their roles this was carried out in a competent manner with no problems on the day. First AidOnly needed once at the end of the race, one athlete needed treatment for a cut on his toe RaceBefore the start of the race League President Richard Sannwald said a few words of encouragement to all the athletes. The first three was 1st Omhar Amhed Birchfield 31.47 2nd Andrew Heyes University of Birmingham 32.02 3rd Kadar Abdullahi Birchfield 32.14. We had 255 finishers on the day compared with 261 finishers last year.Noel MckaklyDivision One Race Referee Birmingham & District Invitation Cross Country League 2019/2020 Season Division One ReportDate Saturday 8th February 2020Host Clubs Leamington Cycling & Athletics ClubVenue: Newbold ComynThe race was held in conjunction with the Midland Women’s Cross Country League.FacilitiesThe Pavilion was the main centre at the venue for changing rooms and refreshments. Three extra porto loos was on site to supplement the toilets in the pavilion. The facilities have been used many times in previous years for large cross country events. Once again the facilities proved to be suitable for hosting both the men’s and women’s races without any problems on the day.Car parkingAlthough parking is limited at Newbold Comyn and it was busy they was no reported issues with car parking I was aware of on the day.RegistrationThe men’s registration area and signing in for officials was held in a separate area of the pavilion(in the corridor) to prevent any confusion on which sheets officials from both leagues need to sign in on. The clubs and officials could not find the registration area I did spend some time showing them where to sign in The registration area for the Men’s race was later moved outside in front of the pavilion race maps and permits which were all visible by the pavilion. WeatherThe weather was once again kind to us it was mild dry with some sunshine.Course Two 5k LapsI arrived early and walked most of the one lap 5k course with Chris Hitchman who was acting as race Referee for the men’s race. Richard Carney race Referee for the women’s race and his Assistant Referee Glen Lock also joined us and walked the women’s course. Some adjustments were needed which included widening some of the turns as the racing line was not clearly defined for the runners. More stakes were also needed to provide the gates for athletes to follow the running line. It was pointed out that some large tree roots needed spraying with paint, Heading toward the finish one path had several branches which we got our feet tangled in which was a hazard. We moved the tape and stakes to avoid that path so they could run on grass I was told runners can’t go on the corner of the football pitch. It was insisted this must be altered before the race started, I checked later with the clerk of course that the changes had been made which he confirmed.The water in the ditch when inspected was at a low level for the runners to enter in and out safely. The course has been used for the Midland Championship and it has lots of variety, undulating in several places a very steep section up the beacon hill . It was also quite muddy in parts with the water ditch included it had all the elements of a challenging cross country course.MarshalsThe host club appointed nineteen marshals all easily identifiable in yellow bibs in all the key areas around the course, I would like to thank Nick Tawney and all the volunteers at Leamington for organising the fixture and also putting out the course it all went well from my point of view.Start/Finish/FunnelThe start and finish were in separate fields it was a short walk to the start. Although they was no start flags/start signs the area was taped off to indicate the start area. It was well marked out wide enough with tape used for an athletes assembly line. The finish funnel was long and conformed with the league requirements with finishing flags on both sides of the finish line, After the ladies race it was noted we needed extra stakes and tape along the finish straight to stop spectators encroaching into the finish straight, This was quickly put in place before the start but we needed more stakes and tape to extend the line further down the course. With the assistance of Carolyn Franks and Richard Sannwald it was adjusted to my satisfaction with an extra marshal put in place.First AidMedi Events provided two 4x4 vehicles and three first aiders as this was a joint fixture. Only one person was seen by the first aid team for a small cut.OfficialsThe designated non-hosting clubs all provided their volunteers who all signed in before the 14.00pm deadline. All the volunteers carried out their duties as requested and we had two officials from the womens race who volunteered to help in the men’s race and they were used as extra funnel marshals.All the appointed league officials turned up and carried out their usual roles as requested by the Referee on the day with no issues or mistakes.I would like to add my thanks to the appointed league officials John Vickers Derek Cowdrey, Derrick Harding, Bob Hughes Bill and Kay Adcocks. Also Assistant Referee Chris Hitchman Race Secretary Ray Morgan League secretary Carolyn Franks and League President Richard Sannwald and Chairman Noel Butler for the support they gave me throughout the season.RaceThe race was won by Omhar Amhed 33.16 Birchfield 2nd Joe Wilkinson 33.28 Loughborough Students. 3rd Thomas Mortimer 33.38 Loughborough Students. They was one DQ for an athlete not wearing his team registered club colours. We had a total of 236 finishers compared to 235 finishers in the previous year. Congratulations to Birchfield Harriers for winning the division one title for the second year in a row.Noel MckaklyDivision One League Race Referee ................
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