Club Handicap

The Harriers organise a four race handicap series each summer over a course of 10 kilometres on the roads near the clubhouse.

Each member is given a handicap time - faster runners have a bigger handicap, meaning that everyone is running more or less on equal terms. The best handicap results over at least three races decide the series winner, who wins a trophy donated by Paul Eames, Peter Gander, Eddie Lyons and past-Chairman Jacques Courivaud – a group of Club members living in Speldhurst. Handicaps will be adjusted each month to reflect runners’ current performance. The first runners go off at 7:20pm.

As roads are not closed during these races, for their own safety and out of respect to other road users, runners need to:

– wear bright clothes
– be careful with the traffic
– run in single file
– turn up at the start on time
– listen to the marshals
– be responsible for their own safety

THE COURSE

The start for the 10K course is on Forest Road at the junction with Forest Way (turn left at the top of Warwick Park, and it’s the first turning on the right).

From there, the course route goes down Hawkenbury Road towards Bells Yew Green.

After Rushlye Farm take the left turn and proceed clockwise round the “Bells Yew Green triangle” (face oncoming traffic on main road) and back on to the Hawkenbury Road.

Return to Hawkenbury and Forest Road (as per the Club Road Champs).

Turn left on to Forest Road and cross over when safe to do so before Warwick Park.

Turn right down Warwick Park and into Nevill Gate.

Enter car park, turn right and then follow flags behind cricket nets to finish.

xxxxx

START TIMES

Each race has an official start time of 7.20pm. Individual runners start at pre-announced times calculated from their expected times to run the course and an anticipated finish time of 8.30pm. For example, if a runner is expected to take 48 minutes to run the course, their start time will be 48 minutes in advance of 8.30pm, ie 7.42pm.

If the handicapper has rated everyone accurately, and everyone runs to their expected time, the whole field will cross the line in a blanket finish!

The handicap organiser will send out a list of start times a few days in advance of each race through the club email group, and we will endeavour to publish that list here too.

If you are a newcomer to the Harriers and have not run the race before, then please contact the handicap organiser who will give you your handicap and start times.