Wiltshire Road Race League

This year sees the launch of the inaugural Wiltshire Race League; this will start in February 2012 with the Longleat 10K and run for 12 events finishing with the Downton Half Marathon in November.

As an affiliated club to the Wiltshire Athletic Association we are automatically entered into this league, to compete individual members simply need to enter the races within The League in the normal fashion.

Clubs will then achieve a score according to the finishing position of your members relative to other athletes belonging to Wiltshire affiliated clubs (including Team Bath AC) and of the same sex. There is a cut off as to how many athletes can score for a club and for the inaugural League this has been set at 10, with the first five scorers forming the ‘A’ team and the second five scorers the ‘B’ team.

With the first Wiltshire athlete scoring 100, the second 99, the third 98 and so on, the team then achieves a total score for the race – this then translates into League points. With the highest scoring team gaining 20pts, second 19pts, third 18pts etc.

The League table is then built on the basis of a team’s best-10 point’s tally, this prevents clubs like Corsham Running Club or Chippenham Harriers being prejudiced by the inclusion of a race such as the St Georges 10K or Chippenham Half into the League where there may be an expectation for members to assist with the race organisation rather than compete.

The scores achieved at those ten events are also tallied and used as a differentiator, a bit like goal difference in the Football Premiership. The League winning teams (Men & Ladies) will be rewarded at the end of the League season as will the top points scorers, including those in the V40, V50 & V60 age categories.

Wiltshire Athletic Association will make all of the necessary calculations based on the results of the League race and publish the League standings on the county website at www.wiltshire-athletics.org.ukand it is planned that award presentations will be made at the final race of the League season.

The League will also provide a means to identify athletes for inclusion in the Wiltshire county team and the revenue generated from Race Organisers “buying” their races into The League shall fund expenses enabling the Wiltshire team to compete at events much further afield than at present.

The following races will form the first League season:

1. The Longleat 10K – Warminster (5th February 2012)
2. The Devizes 10K – Devizes (4th March 2012)
3. St Georges 10K – Corsham (22nd April 2012)
4. The Highworth 5 – Highworth (29th April 2012)
5. The Bath Hilly 10 – Bath (3rd June 2012)
6. The Springfield 5K – Corsham
7. The TBAS 10K – Castle Coombe
8. The Foxtrot 5 – Broughton Gifford (26th August 2012)
9. The Melksham 10 – Melksham (16th September 2012)
10. The Cricklade Half Marathon – Cricklade (7th October 2012)
11. The Clock Change Challenge 10K – Calne (28th October 2012)
12. The Downton Half Marathon – Downton (25th November 2012)

Details of these races will be published on the website as they become available.

More information about the league can be found on the Wiltshire AA website.