ABBEY RUNNERS ROAD RUNNING LEAGUE 2008
This year’s road running League began, as usual, the third week of January.  You have until the second Sunday of October to accumulate points.

The Rules
Counting Races
1. Local races that are nominated each month in the Newsletter count in the League. 
2. In addition to nominated races, you may claim points for (a)any standard, measured, road or track race at half marathon or longer, (b)any race not falling within rule 1 or 2(a), wherever run, if it is a championship race for which you are entered and eligible [criteria of eligibility depend on the race, e.g. you would ordinarily be eligible for a County championship by birth or 9 months residence; for a national vets’ championship by club affiliation, etc.]. 
3. For a series of short races of the same distance, such as the Hyde Park or John Carr 5Ks, you can claim only your best point-scoring race from the series. 
4. Results must be submitted to the editor so that points can be calculated [in the normal run of things this applies only to races under Rule 2 - for races within Rules 1 and 3 the editor is usually able to harvest results from the internet].
(Notes.  The number of counting races has to be limited.  Our League already counts far more races than any other club’s comparable League.  Races at non-standard distances are excluded because the WAVA Tables (see below) cannot cope with them.  Time trials, such as Hyde Park, are excluded because they are not races (also, they may be tend to be won in a time slower than a comparable competitive race, and thus give inflated points scores).  Abbeys are welcome to suggest additional counting races - email the Editor well before the race - but the committee’s decision is final.)

Calculating points
5. Total your 6 best results from counting races.
6. Points are calculated by comparing your official time with that of the winner (M or F as appropriate).  We compare your time and the winner’s time, e.g if in a 10K the M winner were to do 33m26secs and you (an M Abbey), ran 43m54secs, your score would be 2006secs/2634secs x 100 = 76.2 points.
7. For the Vets’ Competition you get a separate, age-graded score using the Age Graded Tables compiled by WAVA (World Association of Veteran Athletes) in 1994.  Your points calculated under Rule 6 are divided by the appropriate age factor (so, using the previous example, if you were a male aged 50, your age factor is 0.8980 and your age-graded score would be 76.2/0.8980=84.9 points; if you were a male aged 61, your age factor is 0.8156 and your age-graded score would be 76.2/0.8156=93.4 points, etc.  The maths are complicated, and it varies from race to race, but in very general terms, compared to a fellow vet of a younger age, you get between 0.5 and 1 point extra per year of age difference between you).

Pocklington is about 12 miles south east of York just off the A1079 Market Weighton road.
Although it is a flat, low lying and rural Market town with a fast and fairly level course, the “Snake” does have a sting in its tail.
The event is very well organised and as you approach the shopping area you should be guided towards the Pocklington Rugby Club, which is literally a two minute walk on the east side of the town centre.
There are ample car parking and changing facilities at the club, but there is usually a queue for the loo.
Blizzards and heavy snow have greeted us in 2004 and 2005. So, take winter clothing with you as you may have a cold walk to the start line.

Around 10:45 you will be walked via path and ginnel to the northern edge of the town centre to where the race begins.
The Snake Lane 10 starts at 11:00 and the race does actually snake through country lanes towards the five mile mark and elevated village of Bishop Wilton.
Garrowby Hill is ahead, but in the village the race turns sharp left and you now run downhill on to a narrow and sometimes muddy road.
Within half a mile you take a left fork and run down Bolton Lane.
Bolton Lane is straight and flat for the first mile and then it really starts to snake.
Take advantage of the corners where you can and you will end up turning left on to the main Yapham Road heading back to Pocklington.

The finishing straight of the Snake Lane 10
It is about 2.5 miles to the finish now but beware of the fast moving traffic on Yapham Road. The marshalling on the course is very good and you will be reminded about the traffic and keeping to the left.
Now for the sting! The snake goes up and down! Even though you will soon have Pocklington All Saints Church in your sites there are a couple of cruel undulations on the way back to the town centre.
The last mile is straight and very flat as you sprint into town. For a while the church does not appear to get any closer, but eventually you do run past it and then take a fast left turn to the finish line right outside “Threshers”.
After taking refreshment and receiving the race memento it is but a short walk back to the rugby club.
Snake lane is yet to be found but always definitely felt.

The race starts in Northgate, which is in the middle of the shopping area within the town centre.
There should be ample car parking in Cliffe Street Car Park which is close to the Market and finish area.

If you have not raced the Dewsbury 10K before, then as soon as you have parked the car and done your warm ups, head towards the shops and just follow the other runners to the start line.
With little ceremony the race begins at 09.30 and you run out of the town centre, heading north.
As you race under the railway viaduct and on to Bradford Road (A652) many of the large old buildings flanking both sides of the road were involved in the textile industry from the last two centuries.
Dewsbury was famous for its shoddy trade. Shoddy was an innovative method of processing old cloth into blankets, outer garments and military uniforms.
Unwittingly, you run out of Dewsbury into Batley and after 1 mile if you really want to look up the “Frontier” club will appear on the right hand side.
This establishment was formerly known as the “Batley Variety Club” where in the 1970’s stars such as Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones appeared.

The course is very flat but shortly after the traffic lights in the centre of Batley a steady incline develops.
You should aim to be nicely out of breath for the half way point and turn round which is just beyond the Batley Wilton Park and boating lake, because now it’s all down hill!
It’s the same route back along Bradford Road back in to Dewsbury, but as you go through the Batley traffic lights again, have a glance at the Bats on the top of the monument to your left, just after the lights. The monument just pre-dates 1996!
Running back into Dewsbury and under the viaduct you will now sweep left on to the ring road and are directed left again then right on to Crackenedge Lane.
Crackenedge Lane passes under the ring road where you enter the town centre and sprint for the finishing line at the side of the market.
That was the course for 2006, so hopefully it will be the same this year,
This out and back Dewsbury 10K course can be very fast if the weather is kind with no side or head winds, so fingers crossed for Sunday 4th February.