Finish Line Video
Results
West Yorkshire Winter League
2024/2025 Event No.5 Crossgates Harriers
Date: Sunday
9th February 2025
Start Time: 10:00am
Race Venue/HQ:
Public footpath entrance near Arts 'n' Flowers Garden Centre,
Crossgates, Leeds, LS15 8ST.
Car Parking:
Parking is as always challenging, with available roadside right
next to start/finish down the road, however in recent weeks we have been hit
with lots of new roadworks here, so may stretch down the road towards the
springs a lot more. We advise car sharing as much as possible, but the main
retail shopping park is just 5 mins walk as the preferred option (LS15 8GH) to
park and high viz marshals shall direct you to the event area. For those who
raced with us last year it’s the same spot! No yellow lines so park both side
of the road safely and respect the local traffic.
Facilities:
There will be Portaloo toilets by the start area in the same spot as last
year. There will be a bar and big selection of cakes on offer at the Barnbow
Social Club literally over the road afterwards, so pop in and taste the
delights we have whipped up. Also afterwards in the clubhouse, we have a huuuge
raffle with lots of bottles to be won. Anyone that can’t make the raffle and
wants a ticket then message me ahead. Please bring change where possible but we
will have a card machine. Why not pop in for half hour and show your clubs
support 😊 Setup flags and base
camp by the start and finish field along the tree line.
Course:
The course has slightly changed this year
for those who remember last time round but pretty much the same, I expect this
route to be a fast one, although last year if you remember the mud really was a leveler with elevation around 400ft, but plenty of ups and downs, and of
course plenty of mud! 5.5 miles long and is mainly on woodland paths, fields
and tracks. It is a bit technical in places with a mixture of heavy mud allied
to stones and broken branches, roots, rocks, slopes and as per demand….. we
have a stream crossing at the end if the beck levels aren’t too high (wahoo) to finish on approx 400m before the
finish line! It’s a decent XC layout!! I will be sending the Strava route out
also, alongside a mini go-pro video for those as a visual ahead of the race.
We keep the whole route to public footpath starting off in farmers field, where
we complete a large lap clockwise around the boggy perimeter, then over the
footbridge and round under the Road bridge and off through the fields where we
meet the uphill climb of bog lane up and around to loop back and off up to the
top of the woods, lots of raised roots and branches here, but a lovely speedy
downhill section to the course before climbing back up towards the finish mile. We head what will I’m sure be the photo gallery of the Sunday night as we cross
the stream, it’s only about a foot deep at the min, then it’s an uphill finale
to the finish line.
Fell or Trail shoes are essential Please listen to and take notice of marshals instructions - they are there to ensure your safety. They will be loud and encouraging and the Crossgates Harriers roar will be evident throughout!
We look forward to welcoming everyone, and encourage as many of you to come back for a drink after to celebrate with some lovely homemade cakes on offer to buy! We have the Barnbow club and it’s big enough for us all, so let’s fill it and celebrate together would be great.
Matty
