Race Calendar

Birmingham League Cross-Country Season 2008-09

If you like XC races, you’ll really enjoy this series.  Why not come along and join the team, which is organised by Derek Burns, our Cross Country Manager. 
Details of this season’s races are:

1st Race: Sat. 25 Oct      Senneleys Park, Birmingham.
2nd Race: Sat.  6 Dec     Droitwich.
3rd Race: Sat  17 Jan      Nuneaton – Burbage Common probably.
4th Race: Sat. 14 Feb     Stafford Common

Travel arrangements: Meet at the MF Social Club car park on Broad Lane at 12 noon. The number of vehicles travelling to each event will depend on the number of competitors and helpers requiring a lift!  (Derek can carry 6 people in his vehicle).
Post-race refreshments are the norm and it’s not unusual for our Club Captain, Dave Phillips to “sponsor” the first round!  If you would like to come along and race or to support, please contact Derek for more details.

Massey Ferguson Runners Club currently hosts three race events every year. 

First is the Easter 5, which is a multi-terrain event, held in the beautiful grounds of the University of Warwick.  It is an accurately measured, gently undulating course of five miles, following footpaths, woodland tracks and some internal roadways. 

The second race, usually held in mid-August, is the Corporate 5 Challenge.  Formerly known as the Firms 5, it continues the theme of the Club’s first race in 1977, which was to promote competition between runners from local firms, factories, businesses, offices, universities, shops, banks etc.  Runners may either run as individuals or enter as teams, but all team members must be bona fide employees of the company for which they are running.  This race also takes place at the University of Warwick over the same course as the Easter 5.  MFRC is most grateful to the University and its staff for permission to use their excellent facilities, which include male and female changing/showers and the bar, all within the new Sports Pavilion, off Gibbet Hill Road.

Just after Christmas the Club hosts a 3-ish mile Pace-Race, usually in the War Memorial Park and starting at the Park and Ride Car Park on the Kenilworth Road.  This is a really informal event, intended to allow those who have over-indulged on the Christmas fare, to run-off some of their excesses.   This is not a traditional race, where the first over the line is the winner.  Instead runners predict their actual running time and the closest to this time is the winner.    Please note that stop watches, clocks or sun-dials are strictly prohibited during the race!

You’ll probably notice that none of the MFRC races are held on public roads.  The Club traditionally held their 5 mile races on roads local to the factory in Banner Lane. The route followed a left-handed course through the village of Benton Green and Tanners Lane, returning through the factory to the finish on the MF Sportsfield.  Unfortunately, despite running these events for 27 years without incident, recent legislation, risk assessment and health & safety policy has decreed that a running race cannot take place on public roads unless they are closed to traffic.  The cost involved in complying with these requirements is very high and these costs can only be recovered through sponsorship, or by charging expensive race entry fees.  MFRC feel that their race programme offers a good alternative to the traditional road race, whilst allowing fees to be kept to an affordable level.