Home > Off Road > Cross Country > Championships

Cross-country Championships

Being a member of WCAC gives you the chance to test yourself in county, regional and national Championship races, which cost less to enter than most open events. If you want to do so in 2016 please put your details on this notice slip, enclose the entry fee and pass it, either directly or via a club coach, to the Cross Country Secretary, by the date shown on the slip.

Championship races are traditionally team events, so West Cheshire AC is sent a set of entry forms for each championship, which must be filled in and posted back.

Race and entry dates vary each year: details via the notice slip mentioned above, Fixtures & Results, or the links below:

Championship
  Age groups

When approx

Enter by
Cheshire County
  Under 11 to Veteran
  1st/2nd Sat in January
  10 days before race
Northern Area
  U13 to Veteran
  4th Sat in January
  6 weeks before
Liverpool & District
  Over 20 to Vet +U20M
  2nd Sunday in February
  Weekend before
English National
  U13 to Veteran
  3rd/4th Sat in February
  7 weeks before
Inter-Counties
  U13 to Veteran
  1st Sat in March
  Qualify via Cheshire
World CCC
   IAAF U20 & Senior
  3 weeks after Inter-county
  Qualify via Inter-county

The Northern & National races both start from pens, which are the width of a single person and can have up to 18 runners allocated per pen. The Liverpool & District Championship is one race.

Age Groups for Championships

Age groups encompass Under 11s, U13s, U15s, U17s, Juniors,U20, Seniors and Veterans, Over 40s, in 5 year age bands. Age groups for Veterans, who run in the same championship races as Seniors, are based on age at the day of the race.
The other exception is the U13 age group who can be aged 11 on or before the day of the race. All other age groups are based on age at 31st August, e.g. for a race on 24th January, someone with an age of 13 or 14 at the previous 31st August will be in the Under 15 group.

Cheshire event only

All age groups,except Veterans, as above, your age is based on 31st August before the event. U11's must run in their own age group and be a minimum of 9 years on 31st August.

Qualifications for Team & Individuals

Your club vest must be worn - all of the same style - and only 1st claim members can count for team awards. The ‘Competition Year’ is from 1st October to 30th September.

To run in the County Championships, provided you have not competed in another County’s Championship, in any discipline, within the same 'Competition Year', you must have been born or have been resident for nine months within the county border or have previously qualified and competed as a resident. The residential link is broken by competing in another County’s Championship after moving outside the previously qualified county boundary.

To run in the Area Championship you must be a 1st claim member of WCAC.
New members whose registration is not ratified may run but not count in the team competition.

To run in the National Championships the same conditions as the Area Championships apply.