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Cross Country Relays

 

Chichester Runners & A.C.

GOODWOOD (SUSSEX AA) CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS

SATURDAY 10th OCTOBER 2026

GOODWOOD COUNTRY PARK – opposite Racecourse – PO18 0PS

 

A cross-country relay event for teams of 3 or 4 runners (depending on age & gender), with races for all ages. Includes 2km non-relay races for Under-12s (school years 5 & 6) and a 1km fun run for Under-10s (year 4).

The 2026 races will be held on Sat 10th October.

Click here to enter online. Entries will close at midday on Fri 9th October.

Team managers will receive further information on declaring athletes nearer the date.

Changes for 2026

  • Under 10s fun run. A hilly 1000m run to give young people in year 4 a taste of cross-country.
  • Mixed relay. Scheduled in the middle of day, so that runners can also take part in the senior races. And so that young people won’t have to wait around for too long to cheer-on their mums and dads.
  • Female Vets 65 category. Recognising that many athletes are now staying active well beyond 55.
  • 3 person MV50 teams. To make it easier to get a complete team together.
  • Earlier start. To fit in the extra races we are going to start a little earlier and pack the schedule a little tighter than in previous years. Be sure to read the timetable carefully.

Course & Location

The senior course is approximately 4km per lap, on grassland and footpaths through the woods in Goodwood Country Park. The junior course is about 2.8km, with less time in the woods. Both courses are suitable for spikes. And have plenty of hills.

Race HQ and parking are on the large green area opposite the Goodwood Racecourse. PO18 0PS
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Timetable

Note that junior age categories are based on age at the end of the school year (31st August 2027)

11:00 Under-10 Fun Run (Boys & Girls)
1000m (1 lap). Not a relay.
For school year 4 (minimum age 8, on the day)

11:10 Under-12 Race (Boys & Girls)
2000m (2 laps). Straight race, not a relay
For school years 5 & 6
May be split into 2 races, if there are a lot of entries

11:30 Under-14 Race (Boys & Girls)
3 x 2800m (approx) relay

12:00 Mixed Relay
4 x 2000m (approx) relay, running on part of the junior course
All ages, U18 upwards (age 16 to veteran)

12:30 Under-16 Race (Boys & Girls)
3 x 4000m (approx) relay

13:15 Women’s Race
3 x 4000m (approx) relay – U18, Senior, V35, V45, V55, V65

14:15 Men’s Race
4 x 4000m (approx) relay – Senior, V40
3 x 4000m (approx) relay – U18, V50, V60

 

U18s and Veterans may run in their clubs’ senior teams. Medals will be awarded to the first 3 Sussex teams (excluding the mixed relay).

Sussex Championships

The event incorporates the Sussex County Championships, for clubs affiliated to the Sussex Athletics Association. All members of these teams must have Sussex qualification – essentially, either live in Sussex or have been born in Sussex. For the full details of county eligibility, see Rule G2 S6 (page 324) of the UKA Rules for Competition

The under 10 and under 12 races plus the Mixed Relay are NOT county championship races.

Non-Sussex Teams

Teams from Hampshire, Surrey, from informal running groups and from clubs that aren’t affiliated to Sussex AA are all very welcome to take part in the event, but are not eligible for the Sussex Championships.

Medals and Prizes

Sussex county medals will be awarded to the first 3 Sussex teams in each of the categories recognized as County Championship events by Sussex AA (U14B, U14G, U16B, U16G, U18M, U18W, SW, FV35, FV45, FV55, FV65, SM, MV40, MV50, MV60). There will be no individual prizes for these races.

The U10 event is a fun run, to encourage young people to try cross country, and there will be no medals or prizes. There will be plenty of sweets for everyone who finishes, though.

For the U12 race, event medals will be awarded to the first 3 boys, the first 3 girls, the first 3 boys’ teams and the first 3 girls’ teams. The team medals will be delivered after the event.

For the Mixed Relay, event medals (not county) will be awarded to the first 3 teams.

The U12 race and the Mixed Relay are not County Championship events, so Sussex qualification is not relevant. The medals will go to whoever wins, where ever they come from.

Primary School Races

The U10 and U12 races are open to all young people of the appropriate age, whether they run with a club or not.

Both will be run as simple races, but U12 runners can opt to run as a 3-person boys or girls team. Or they can just run as an individual. If you put a club, school or team name in the box on the entry form then we’ll connect the dots. Groups of more than 3 will be split into A/B/C teams when the results are processed.

Mixed Relay

  • The mixed relay will be run as a single race, with no age categories.
  • Teams should consist of 2 male and 2 female runners, of the U18 age category (16+) or older.
  • Race order is open – MWMW, WMWM, WMMW, MWWM, WWMM, MMWW … you decide.
  • No handovers after 30 mins. If the last runner hasn’t set off when we need to start the next race, the team will be marked as DNF
  • The course will be 1 lap of the part of the junior course that goes through the woods.
  • Competitors are permitted to enter the senior races later, as well.

 

DATA PROTECTION & MUSIC – In entering this event, athletes agree to Sussex AA publishing personal info for results & passing such information on to the gov body &/or affiliated organisations. Data is also used for info on future events. Athletes and spectators should be aware music is sometimes played at our events. If this is something that causes discomfort, please act accordingly by bringing ear defenders or similar.

CLEAN SPORT:

All participants (including athletes and athlete support personnel) in any licensed event are bound to UK Athletics’ anti-doping rules and must make themselves familiar with these rules. Organisers of licensed events are expected to cooperate with UK Anti-Doping with regard to any code-compliant anti-doping investigations and proceedings linked to their event or participants in their event, and to include the following statement regarding anti-doping compliance, provided by UKAD, within their event registration process:
“An entrant shall be deemed to have made himself/herself/themself, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the date of entering the event, whether or not the participant is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.”