Club races
Club races are organised by the club for club members. We don't worry if you're a full member of the club – if you have never raced before, come along and give it a go to see what it's like.
We try to make the club races a little more fun than the more serious interclub races; often they are something a little bit different, such as the teams races of the Philp Shield, the mixed-up relay of the Perston Baton Relay and the open handicap of the Grand Memorial.
Club cross country championships
This is usually held at Onslow Pony Club (Bryant’s Farm, Boom Rock Rd, out at Ohariu Valley), each year and incorporates a sealed handicap competition where the winner is the athlete who beats the time that the handicapper has estimated for them by the greatest margin. The event has a number of club trophies at stake throughout the various grades, with certificates for the first three across the line for each grade.
The course traditional cross country – undulating and can be boggy and muddy depending on the weather that prevails. A demanding course.
The race grades and race distances are (note the junior grades are the old-style 2-year intervals for this event):
| Race | Grades | Distance | Laps |
| 1 | Junior men (MU20) | 7.5km | 3 full laps |
| Youth men (MU18) | 7.5km | 3 full laps | |
| Masters Men 40+ | 7.5km | 3 full laps | |
| Masters Men 50+ | 7.5km | 3 full laps | |
| Senior Men | 10km | 4 full laps | |
| 2 | Senior Women | 5km | 2 full laps |
| Masters Women 35+ | 5km | 2 full laps | |
| Masters Women 50+ | 5km | 2 full laps | |
| Junior women (WU20) | 5km | 2 full laps | |
| Youth women (WU18) | 5km | 2 full laps | |
| Walkers | 5km | 2 full laps | |
| 3 | Boys and Girls Under 13 (BU13, GU13) | 2.5km | 1 full lap |
| Boys and Girls Under 11 (BU11, GU11) | 2.5km | 1 full lap | |
| 4 | Boys and Girls Under 9 (BU9, GU9) | 1km | 1 kids lap |
| Boys and Girls Under 7 (BU7, GU7) | 1km | 1 kids lap | |
| 5 | Boys and Girls Under 15 (BU15, GU15) | 4km | 1 short lap plus 1 full lap |
Club Road Championships
The club road racing champs are held in conjunction with the Athletics Wellington Road champs.
Grand Memorial races and Old Members’ Day
The Grand Memorial is one of our oldest events, first run in the 1920s to remember the club members who lost their lives in World War I – read about their story in Soldiers, Signalmen, Runners.
The event is an open handicap event for the 14-and-overs runners in the club, with the under 14s having scratch races. Open handicap is a race that anybody can win. Runners will start their race at different times to others in the field, according to their handicap times: the slowest runners (the "scratch runners") start off first, followed by the next slowest, and so on, until finally the fastest runners (the “backmarkers”), the last to start, get underway. If everyone runs to their handicap time, everyone will finish at exactly the same time. The scratch runners must stay ahead of everyone else and not get overtaken to win; the backmarkers have to overtake the whole field to win. The Club handicappers decide who starts when (just so you know who to blame...).
The race is held at Bryant‘s Farm, Boom Rock Rd, out at Ohariu Valley. The course is flat-ish with numerous small creek crossings and a few bogs – excellent racing usually prevails on this course. Don't wear your best shoes!
The race grades and race distances are:
| Race | Grade(s) | Distance |
| 1 | Boys and girls Under 10 (B9, G9 - 9 and under) | 1km scratch race |
| 2 | Boys and girls Under 14 (B13, G13) - 13 and under | 2km scratch race |
| 3 | Senior & Masters Women | 4km open handicap |
| Junior women (W-U20, W-U18, G-U15) | 4km open handicap | |
| Junior men (M-U20, M-U18, B-U15) | 4km open handicap | |
| Walkers | 4km open handicap | |
| Senior & Masters Men | 8km open handicap |
The open handicap races are combined but race for different grade trophies.
It is also Old Members’ Day, when past members of the club gather and is highlighted by an afternoon tea back at the clubrooms after the races.
Maiden & Perston races
The first race of the season for many, this is an excellent introduction for new members to cross country racing – it is run over just 2km and involves “true” cross country.
Held at Grenada North Park (Newlands College up till 2015), these are also the official trial races for the selectors to pick their teams for the Shaw Baton Interclub Relay one or two weeks later. There are four races: two races for the kids, the Maiden race and the Perston Memorial race. The Maiden and Perston races are held after each other, on the same course.
(a) Kids' races
7s and under run an 800m course around the playing fields. Older kids run a 1km course, and includes half of the full 2km course.
(b) Maiden Race
This race is for members who have never won an individual trophy from a race, won on either handicap (1st place) or outright from a club or interclub race. In many cases, new members will start in this event.
In addition, there is a sealed handicap.
The outright winner of the race and the sealed handicap winner (who has beaten the time predicted for them by the handicapper by the greatest margin) are both given a trophy and earn “promotion” to the Perston race next season.
(c) Perston Memorial Race
The race is for members who have won an individual trophy from a race, won on either handicap (1st place) or outright from a club or interclub race.
In addition, there is a sealed handicap.
The outright winner of the race and the sealed handicap winner are each given a trophy.
Perston Baton Relay Race
This club event is a cross country relay that is held at Karori Park. It is a fun event with some close racing usually prevailing.
The winning team members receive a Baton, and have their names engraved on the Trophy to commemorate this event.
A 5 lap event, the race uses a circuit of about 2.3km around Karori Park. It is mostly a grass course, but contains a tough hill at the back of the course, and a stream crossing. All grades are catered for with the first and third runners of each team completing one circuit, the second and fourth completing two, and the fifth runner completing three (although some teams choose to mix up the order). (Note this is subject to change depending on who turns up on the day.) The club meets at the park where the club handicappers & selectors pick the teams.
Philp Shield
This event is a club teams race over quite short distances where everyone who finishes will count for their team.
The winning team members have their names engraved on the Shield to commemorate this event.
Previously held at West Park School and run on the road, from 2015 this race has been held entirely within Alex Moore Park.
The race distances will vary. The current format is a single short lap around the school for the most junior members, and either 1, 2 or 3 laps of a longer circuits for older members (with 3 long laps being 5km). How many team members count is determined by the number in each team on the day of the race.
The course has one large climb per lap and and is all footpath.
Last updated: 27 Mar 2021