Martinshaw Woods

2023/24 Derby Runner XC League - Race 4

Race: Martinshaw Woods

Club: West End

Date: Sunday 14th January 2024

Time: Junior Race 10:15am, Ladies Race 10:50am, Men's Race 11:10am

Distance: 5.7 Miles - MAP

Entry Fee: Senior £6 - Pay on the day to our captains (Entry price includes a donation to the Woodland Trust and the Groby Lodge Estate’s charity of choice as a thank you for allowing the race to go ahead on their land)

Junior (year 3 - year 12) £2 - Pay on the day at the league desk

Venue: Martinshaw Woods

What Tree Words: ///slimming.buyers.cupboards

Address: Groby Lodge Farm, Markfield Road, Ratby, Leicester

Note: Be careful with the address, the post code will take you to the M1 Motorway and not the farm entrance.

Lift Share: We will be meeting at Woolpack Way Car Park, Atherstone at 9:10am (leaving 9:20am prompt) and travel over together!

NOTE: CAR SHARING IS ESSENTIAL - ONLY CARS WITH 3 OR MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE MAIN CAR PARK.

Information

Parking

Car parking at Groby Lodge Farm (farm track entrance).

Approaching from Ratby: On Markfield Road turn immediate right after going under the motorway bridge. Approaching from Markfield: On Ratby Lane turn left immediately before the motorway bridge.

CAR SHARING IS ESSENTIAL CAR PARKING SPACE IS VERY LIMITED 3 OR MORE PEOPLE PER CAR PLEASE.

Strictly NO DOGS on the Groby Lodge Grounds.

Course Details

Senior race: Approx. 5.7 miles (one lap)

After an initial start across the open grass field, the route goes uphill early on around the edge of the farmer’s field before a left turn into the woods at a bit of a pinch point approx. 0.6 miles into the race. The route then follows a nice mix of single track and wider woodland paths around the woods with generally plenty of space for overtaking.

After a short section in the open fields south of Martinshaw Woods, you will cross over the motorway bridge for the first time. Please keep left at all times on the bridge to avoid runners coming back in the opposite direction. The route skirts the edge of a small woodland car park before doing a loop around more woodland paths before coming back to the motorway bridge.

From there you turn left and head in pretty much a straight line back through the woods with a lovely, muddy downhill section along the edge of the farmer’s field back to the finish line

There are two sections of concrete path as you cross the motorway bridge, along with one short section of packed gravel path. Otherwise predominantly grassy, muddy, and in some places wet woodland paths including lots of tree roots, tree stumps and low-level branches.
One very slippy bridge which will be marshalled but strictly no overtaking on the bridge, please.
Shoes with studs (not spikes) advised

Please Note

The route will be marshalled, taped and signed. Please keep to route on the paths at all times.
This is a public woodland, please be courteous to the general public.

Please take all litter home with you.
Please take care when parking and leaving as the grass can become very slippery. Take it slow to prevent your vehicle from getting stuck.

Rules

Derby Runner Cross Country League

www.derbyrunnerxc.co.uk

These races are CLOSED events, ie only members of affiliated clubs can take part. If you are a member of a club not in the Derby Runner Cross Country League, you can join one that is as a second claimer. Occasionally, at the rare and sole discretion of Dave Mann, guest runners may be allowed – any guest runner will not score points for a team.

Team Events:

Men's event: 8 men (including 2 vets)

Ladies event: 4 ladies (including 1 vet)

Combined event: 7 men (including 2 vets) and 3 ladies (including 1 vet)

Please make your team aware of the following:

Runners, MUST return their finishing disks
Runners must run in club kit
NO Earphones MP3s or other devices - it makes insurance invalid
At stiles if you jump any queue, you and your team will be disqualified
Host clubs are to make sure that all marshals know the mobile phone number of the first aid co-ordinator
Host clubs are to make sure that the children’s race has hares and/or marshals
Please turn up early and car share
Finally, enjoy!