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Summer League

The Summer League is a series of 5 races from April to August on mainly rural, undulating road and trail courses, and some are quite scenic. All the courses are between 5 and 6 miles. Any club member can enter just by turning up on the night and all races are free. The more we have running the better, so why not give it a try, whatever your standard. You must wear a club vest.


Please note that headphones are now banned for safety reasons. Clubs will suffer a large penalty for any member wearing them.


Results are published on the Notts AAA website.



Course Guide


Epperstone

Epperstone is a pleasant, undulating rural course with one sharp uphill, a similar downhill and a nice flat second half. It’s quite a tight start and after a few hundred yards on the flat, there’s a right-left-right combination and your first major obstacle comes alarmingly into view. The first hill is largely about survival so don’t go too mad, but if you can get up it in reasonable shape, you can consolidate in the gently undulating second mile with some nice downhill sections, but mind your feet in places. The third mile is payback for that first hill, with a steady climb leading to a sharp downhill section before turning back towards Lowdham. Once you emerge on to the main road, the rest of the course is basically flat as you head down Lowdham’s Main Street and out the other side towards Epperstone. Leaving the main road, there’s a tight section of track before you turn left out on to the lane to Epperstone. You’re not there yet, but if you’ve anything left you can go for it on the flat here, not forgetting that there’s still a run-in across the field to the finish.


Erewash

Undulating is certainly the word for the Erewash course, as there’s very little that isn’t either uphill or downhill, but it’s another very pleasant run along country lanes and it’s all tarmac. Since the course has been run anti-clockwise, the first half is now a lot gentler and the second half much tougher. There's a nice downhill start to get you going, but you give all of that back with a slight uphill before the first mile is out. The second mile is probably the flattest part of the course as it meanders along the lanes, before starting to rise in the third mile. A sharp left turn just before the three mile mark is the signal for an uphill slog and the toughest part of the course. The top flattens out a bit before a very steep downhill third of mile or so back to the bottom where you turn right to rejoin the road you came out on. You can cruise the next few hundred yards less sharply downhill, but don’t forget you still have to get back up the hill you started down. The finish is tight and twisty as you head through the leisure centre grounds. Look behind you as you enter the short finishing straight to make sure you don’t get caught!


National Water Sports Centre

It has to be said that the 5 mile course at Holme Pierrepont is easily the least interesting on the calendar, but it is almost entirely flat so it offers excellent prospects for a PB and of course it’s close by, so there really is no excuse for not turning out here. It’s basically most of an anti-clockwise lap of the lake, turning off towards the slalom course and then out on to the lane. The course turns left off the lane back towards the lake, and through the gate for the only gradient on the course. Once you hit the side of the lake, it’s just flat out for two or three minutes to the finish, where you will hopefully record your 5 mile PB!


Worksop

This is the furthest trip on the calendar this year, but it’s worth it for a lovely run in Sherwood Forest. It also seems to give many people the illusion of being a mainly downhill course, even though it’s circular. The start is a bit of a scramble for position along the edge of the field before a tight right turn and another to get out of the school grounds. The first mile is steadily downhill, so don’t be too perturbed by a fast first mile time. The second and third miles are gently undulating, with some cover from the trees if it’s a sunny evening. At the far end of the course in the fourth mile, there’s a sharp turn on to a forest track for the toughest part of the course, with about a mile of mainly uphill forest track to bring you back to the lane. Once you hit the lane again, it’s gently uphill back to the school gates. Remember to leave something for the long run-in.


Teversal Trail

The Teversal Trail course has changed a bit over the years, and in its present incarnation it’s decidedly hilly. It’s a mixture of trail and tarmac. The start is uphill and there’s a challenging loop around the highest point of the course in the second mile. Once you’re down, there’s a straight flattish section of old railway line through trees before a sharp turn on to a country lane. The next part of the course is undulating as you pass through a village before turning back on to the railway line for the last mile or so, and it’s a slightly uphill run towards the finish.

2012 Race Dates and Venues - All races start at 7.15pm

11 April - Epperstone - Multimap link

9 May - National Water Sports Centre

13 June - Friesland Leisure Centre, Sandiacre - Multimap link

11 July - Worksop College - Google Maps link

15 August - Teversal Trail, Sutton-in-Ashfield - Google Maps link