Chingford League – An actual race!  

Subject: Chingford League – An actual race!
Message from Billy Green October 4, 2020 21:21
All Club e-mail messages can now be viewed via the Ilford AC web site link at ilfordathleticclub.co.uk/messages

Chingford League Race 1 as follows:

24th October, Chingford Plain E4 7JQ.
Senior Men 9am, Senior Women 10:15am, 5.2 miles 2-lap multi terrain course, as in the test event.

Pre-entry from team managers to league sec only, by Saturday 17th October – YOU MUST LET SATHA KNOW IN ADVANCE OF THIS DATE

No guests, no transfers, no late entries, or entries on the day. Open to 1st and 2nd claim senior members of our 17 League clubs. One volunteer helper required per club.

More details on Covid Security soon, but the format will follow the test race held on 12th September.
Please see notes below on how we deal with team and individual scoring and entry limits
NB this is a “heads up” so you’re briefed in good time. We’ve applied for all the relevant licences and permissions, but I will contact you as soon as we get the go-ahead from the Corporation of London, hopefully early next week. Apologies in advance if we’re rejected.
Regrettably it won’t be possible to stage junior races on 24th Oct, but we will contact the junior reps at the clubs that normally support the CL’s youth races to see what can be done to keep the youngsters involved.

Other hoped-for dates for the 2020/21 season:

21st November (host location tbc)
12th December (host/location tbc)
There may also be a Hog Hill race (albeit a daylight event – concept provisionally agreed – no access to buildings)

Feb 6th (VPH 5 or Velopark)
March 13th for the Wanstead Flats relays.

DEALING WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTY

Team and Individual scoring:

Team and individual categories will be valid, provided we complete 3 or more fixtures in the season (*see historical note below). But at this stage, we can’t be sure which fixtures will go ahead. So..

ALL RACES WILL COUNT towards individual awards, and towards team championships, including promotion and relegation of two teams between divisions ONE and TWO.
(If only 1 or 2 races can be completed, the season will be declared invalid as far as all scoring is concerned, and no awards or promotions/relegations will take place.)

So Team Managers will want to try to field their best possible teams from the outset! Don’t get caught out!

Men’s A team Div 1: Barnet, ELT, ELR, Eton Manor, Loughton, Orion, Trent Park, Victoria Park
Men’s A team Div 2: Barking, Dagenham, EERR, ERC, Harold Wood, Ilford AC, London City, Mornington Chasers, WGEL

Women’s Senior team Div 1: Dagenham, ELR, Eton Manor, London City, Loughton, Orion, Trent Park, Victoria Park
Women’s senior team Div 2: Barking, Barnet, EERR, ELT, ERC, Harold Wood, Ilford, Mornington Chasers, WGEL

NB men’s B teams and men’s and women’s v40 teams are not split up into divisions.

Race limits: all clubs will be able to enter full teams of 6: Men’s A, B and V40, Women’s A and V40. It will be possible to enter more runners than that – the CL is inclusive and theoretically open to all. For our clubs who normally enter sizeable numbers, in excess of their scoring teams, I will speak to TMs and suggest approximate quotas to aim for, based on their usual level of participation. We hope it won’t happen, but if anyone is duly pre-entered ahead of the deadline, and we can’t accommodate them, we’ll work with TMs to find another way of involving the runners concerned.

*Historical Context:

Looking back there have been instances in the Chingford League’s 66-year history where race programmes were curtailed/modified in the light of events. Most recently after the closure of the old Eastway, but before Hog Hill, a 3-race programme was deemed valid, and sufficient to award team and individual championships. Further back, foot and mouth disease and very bad winters were also dealt with in a similarly pragmatic way. The League’s Exec hope we can make it happen in 2020/21. If it doesn’t work out, it won’t be for want of trying!

If you need to respond to this email please do not reply but contact Billy Green separately