League Racing.
We run take part in a road-race league in the summer (GLCL) and cross country in the winter months.
Cross Country
SoM takes part in three separate cross country leagues – the Gwent League and the Gwent Leisure Centre League (GLCL). [Apologies that they have such similar names… it’s not our fault!]. And from 2022, also the Hereford & Borders XC League
We have become established in the GLCL and this is our main club focus (and is described in detail at the bottom of this page). We are newer to Gwent League races and newer still to the H&B league. These actually cover a much wider geographical area, and we tend not to get a full team running – but they are great events and you can really enjoy the races as individuals. As the popularity of Cross Country continues to increase, maybe we’ll start to get full teams out there too. The upcoming fixtures of all leagues for the 2022/23 season are give here … then the rest of the page concentrates on how the GLCL works.
15th Oct. Llandaff Fields – Gwent League. £4
30th Oct: Pembridge (Wye Valley Runners). H&B League 80p**
12th Nov. Blaise Castle, Bristol – Gwent League. £4
20th Nov. Peterstow (MonRoss) – H&B League 80p**
27th Nov – Caerleon RC. – GLCL (Free)
3rd Dec – Pembrey Country Park – Gwent League. £4
18th Dec Fforest Fields (Builth) – H&B League 80p**
8th Jan – Spirit Of Monmouth. – GLCL (Free)
15th Jan – Croft Castle (Croft Ambrey RC) – H&B League 80p**
22nd Jan- Chepstow Harriers – GLCL (Free)
5th Feb- Griffithstown Harriers – GLCL (Free)
11th or 12th Feb TBA. Gwent League. £4
26th Feb Bockleton (near Leominster) – H&B League 80p**
4th or 5th Mar TBD (Margam Park?) – Gwent League. £4
12th Mar Lliswerry Runners – GLCL (Free)
*No liability taken for errors or fixture changes. Please check!
** H&B = Hereford & Borders. Cost to individuals is £4, whether you run one or all five races
Road Race GLCL Series 2023 7.30pm starts (provisional dates* Subject to change)
Tues 2nd May
Tues 6th June
Tues 4th July
Tues 1st Aug
Tues 29th Aug
Gwent Leisure Centre League – Information
New members to the club may hear the term “GLCL” mentioned and not really know what it means, so this page is to explain a bit more about the league and show the upcoming race dates for your diary.
The races are there for participating club members to enter and in most cases only open to members of participating clubs. The races are competitive and also great fun, with runners of all abilities taking part. They are a great way to meet runners from other local clubs and run in different parts of the county.
The competitive side includes a points scoring system where you contribute to the club’s league position and also you have a personal tally of points that, if you’re interested, pits you against other people in your own age group. Details further down the page. We also have an annual club award for the best performers – see the “Club Championship” page for an update.
On GLCL race nights in summer, we do still have a club night, however many members choose to take part in the GLCL, so the club nights tend to be much smaller group runs.
Taking Part
First – see a committee member to register for a race number (this is a new innovation from October 2021 – and introduces, chip-timing).
The cost of the chipped race number is a one-off £2 (we’re finalising who pays this). This will be yours for the season. You’ll also need to wear a club vest, so that organisers and other runners know which club you belong to. Please speak to a Committee member to order one of these.
Once you have vest and number, there is no need to pre-register for the races. Just turn up. It’s best to car-share, as parking can be difficult with so many runners taking part. There is usually car-sharing organised from Monmouth and various other places. Please check Facebook or ask on a club night if you’d like to car share.
About the GLCL
The league began in 1986, when four Gwent clubs set it up, with the aim of providing “all its members, irrespective of ability, with free races they could take part in, within a competitive but friendly environment.”
The league now includes ten running clubs, who take it in turn to host a series of five summer road races of approx 5-6 miles in length, plus five winter cross-country races of around 4-5 miles in length.
The summer road races are held on Tuesday evenings and the winter XC races are held on Sunday mornings, in various lovely locations around the old county of Gwent.
The league has grown over the years and nowadays 400+ runners take part in the summer road races and 300+ in the winter XC races.
Please note that the GLCL should not be confused with the Gwent League, which includes clubs from a wider area and junior events
How it works
Points are based on finishing order (rather than time). Men and women are of course scored separately, as are age categories.
Age Categories
The GLCL age categories are currently:
Men:
Senior (17-39), Over 40 (40-44), Over 45 (45-49), Over 50 (50-54), Over 55 (55-59), Over 60 (60-64), Over 65 (65-69) and 70+
Women:
Senior (17-34), Over 35 (35-39), Over 40 (40-44), Over 45 (45-49), Over 50 (50-54), Over 55 (55-59), Over 60 (60-64) and 65+
Points and Teams
The league is very much a team event, with runners scoring points for their clubs. Regardless of age, for the summer series the first 10 males and first 6 females score points for the “A” team, the next 10 & 6 for the “B” team etc. For the XC series, this is the first 6 men and 4 women.
The summer series and winter series are scored as separate leagues and also scored as a whole league for the year.
For the individual runners, their best 4 of 5 scores counts towards their overall score for the series.
More Information
Further information about the Gwent Leisure Centre League can be found in the following places:
Official website:
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/GwentLeisureCentreLeague/
Results Page (Facebook):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572323769463015/
Competition Rules:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B42QUqLRmU-xaUo5bmRibFRqTE0/view
