- Booking forms and safety at training
- Diary of events
- West Yorkshire XC
- Peco XC
- Leeds Schools XC
- Parkrun and junior parkrun challenges
This email is being sent to parents of all junior members and of all prospective members who have come to at least one training session in 2025.
The email address [email protected] is only used for mailshots. Please don’t reply to this address, instead email [email protected]
Booking forms and safety at training
Booking forms for October are now available. Please book by 10pm on Thursday 2 October if you want to come on Tuesday 7 October.
By the end of October all timeslots will finish in the dark so please read the safety procedures regarding accompanying your children through the car park and notifying us of your location if you are not going to stay beside the rugby pitch.
If the ground conditions are good we have space for 6 activities under floodlights throughout the winter but I prefer to run with 3 groups so that there is no queuing for activities. The 5:25 session is expected to be overbooked so if you prefer to come at 5:25 but could come at 4:40 and/or 6:10, then please put an “X” all those that you could do.
Diary of events
There is now a comprehensive list of events on the website
Some of these are mentioned below.
Please let me know if there’s anything I’ve missed.
West Yorkshire XC
The closing date is Sunday 5 October
4 meetings (3 on Sundays, 1 on a Saturday) between October and December. First meeting is 12 October at Nunroyd Park Guiseley. Minimum age 9 on 1 September 2025.
Under-11 races (normally school years 5&6, approximately 1.5km) start at 11:45, Under-13 races (normally school years 7&8, approximately 3km) start at 12:05, followed by U15 and U17 races. There are separate races for girls and boys.
For U13 races and older, England Athletics Affiliation is required – this costs £20 and should be paid to V.S. before entering. The E A year runs from 1 April to 30 March so your payment now will cover you for higher events early in 2026 such as the Yorkshire XC Championships in January.
Club vest or T-shirt is compulsory.
More information here
https://www.race-results.co.uk/onlineentries/uploads/info5908.pdf
Entry link here
https://www.race-results.co.uk/onlineentries/user/login.php?raceid=5908
Entries so far
https://www.race-results.co.uk/onlineentries/user/getentries.php?raceid=5908
19 Junior Striders have already entered.
Peco XC
These events really are suitable for all abilities. More than 70 junior Striders ran at least one race last year.
5 meetings between November and March and a Relay Race in March, all on Sunday mornings. School years 2 to 6 run approximately 1 mile, race start is 10:00 – junior parkrun is ideal training (but not on race day!) School years 7 to 11 run 2 miles, race start is 10:20 – adult parkrun is ideal training.
Dates are 9 November, 14 December, 4 January, 25 January, 15 February, with the relays on 8 March
General information is at www.pecoxc.co.uk
Entry for the Series (including the relay) is just £8. Entries are open now at https://racebest.com/races/gc4xx
Leeds Schools XC
We now have a new set of provisional dates – 8 November, 29 November, 17 January and 28 February. Expect to see confirmation of these in the next few days!
Many schools in Leeds take part in the Leeds Schools Cross Country League – 4 Saturday mornings between September and February. Primary school races from 10:00, secondary school races from 11:00. Primary school categories are Years 3&4 and Years 5&6. Secondary school categories are Years 7&8 and years 9&10. Year 11s are allowed to run in the y9-10 race. There are separate races for girls and boys.
To be eligible to enter, schools must be members of the Leeds Schools Sports Association (not all schools are) or Leeds Well Schools Partnership, nominate a teacher (or parent) to be responsible for the whole school team on race day (it can be a different person at each meeting), and also nominate a teacher who can be off-site but must at all times be contactable by phone on race day and has emergency contact details for all students.
Entries can only be via your school.
Parkrun and junior parkrun challenges
We are introducing two new awards to encourage parkrunning.
There will be a trophy for every junior Strider who completes at least one adult (5km) parkrun at each of the 11 venues in Leeds between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026.
There will be a trophy for every junior Strider who completes at least two junior (2km) parkruns at each of the 6 venues in Leeds between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026.
If you are between the ages of 11 and 14 you can attempt either … or both!
Get started now! Go on your own or …
Arrange a morning out with other V S Junior runners at an adult parkrun https://www.facebook.com/groups/2561438430903359/
Arrange a morning out with other V S Junior runners at a junior parkrun
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1336445581161929/