MPORTANT RACE INFORMATION FOR ST JOHN`S FELL RACE RUNNERS
For all those competing in New Year Day`s St John`s Fell Race can you please have a look at the following information? Apologies for it being a bit long winded but our aim is to ensure we get the race going as near as we can to the scheduled 13.30 start time and everyone’s cooperation will help us achieve this. The weather on Wednesday could be quite unpleasant. We may have to alter arrangements slightly according to the prevailing conditions
Registration is at the St John`s Football Club from 12.15 until 13.00. If you can arrive to register in good time it will help our hard working crew to get everyone sorted quickly. Please note that there is a temporary road closure on the section of the Foxdale Road outside the club house from 13.00 until 15.00. The closure will be from the Patrick Road corner to near the DEFA HQ.
The start and finish will in the St John`s and Peel cricket ground which is situated next to the football club. At the request of the clubs please do not warm up on any of the grassed area`s within the cricket or football fields. There is plenty of room on the old railway lines which can be easily accessed from the football ground. No dogs in the grassed areas please.
All registered competitors are asked to congregate on the road by the entrance to the cricket field by 13.20. From here you will have your race number checked on to the start line in numerical order. This is a mandatory part of our race safety regulations for our insurance cover.
Race numbers must be placed on the chest and be clearly visible at the start, the safety check on the return leg entrance in to the plantation and the finish. It is vital that if any runner retires from the race that they report back to the finish official’s. Failure to do so could result in the emergency services being called out to look for you as every race number must be accounted for.
Full safety gear is not required but as the weather forecast is not very promising we would very strongly recommend that you carry a water proof jacket. Although a fair amount of the course is within the well sheltered Slieau Whallian Plantation there is a pretty long ridge run to the summit and back which can be quite hostile when the weather is poor. Most of the course will be flagged and marshalled. Fancy dress is optional. If worn, it should not hinder running. Costumes must allow safe running and overtaking on ground which is often steep and slippery, with some very narrow paths, tree roots and low branches. No fancy dress objects to be carried please. Although we try and keep this event fairly relaxed and especially welcoming to newcomers it must be remembered that it is very much a registered fell race that is run under UK Fell Runners Association rules. It is definitely not a fun run.
There is plenty of parking spaces in St John`s. There will be limited space at the football club and the car park on Station Road. We recommend that everyone uses the big park behind the Tynwald Inn which can be accessed from either Peel Road or Station Road which is a short 5 minute walk to the clubhouse.
Refreshments will be available at the football club post race. There will be no charge for the refreshments but there will be a bucket for donations which will go to the local Salvation Army along with all the entry fees.
[Richie Stevenson]
ENTRIES: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=14347
