Piercefield Park Time Trial
Venue: Chepstow Leisure Centre, Welsh St, Chepstow NP16 5LR
Date: TBC
Start: Near Chepstow Leisure Centre.
Distance: Approx 4.0 miles
Entry Fees: £7 affiliated /£9 unaffiliated
Individual Results Prize Winners Team Results Photos (by Tosh) here
Details:
Are you fed up of virtual events and want to get back to some real racing? If so, this event may interest you.
It's now time to take the next step.
The event is basically a time trial where participants start at different times within a 2 hour window. This ensures that you will generally be able to distance yourself from others.
This is an off-road event on grass, paths and trails
You wear a chip on your number that detects you at the start and finish and gives you your race time.
There is ample free car parking, and as the start is spread out over 2 hours, participants will easily be able to 'distance' on arrival/departure.
When collecting your race number there will be appropriate distancing protocols in place and the opportunity to sterilize your number and your hands
There will be 'portaloo' toilet facilities (near the start and out in the open) and an ample supply of hand sanitizer/sterile wet wipes and sterilizing spray
Excellent course marking and marshals as usual. No 'water features' on the route.
Medals, bottled drinks and cakes if required (all administered with appropriate hygiene and distancing protocols)
Results available on-line the same evening - and possibly viewable on TV screen when you finish
Prizes - there will be no prize giving on the day. We will post/deliver awards/prizes to the usual overall winners and age group categories.
Although we will accept up to 150 entries for the time trial, it is anticipated that there will be less than 30 runners spread out on the course at any one time, and about the same number of people at the start/finish area conforming to current social distancing protocols/rules. We would encourage participants to arrive ready to run and after finishing to return home as soon as possible.
We ask you to time your arrival to start, according to the following guidelines in order to minimise the need for overtaking on the course:
5:30pm to 6:10pm - runners who currently run a 5k in under 27mins
6:10pm to 6:50pm - runners who currently run a 5k between 27 and 31 mins
6:50pm to 7:30pm - runners who currently run a 5k in over 31 mins
You could finesse your arrival time further - for example if you run a 5K in around 30 mins then you would be best to start say 5 mins before 6:50pm. Assuming it takes you 30 minutes to collect your number and warm up we suggest you aim to arrive at 6:20pm.
We do appreciate though, that due to work/family commitments it may not be possible for you to arrive at these ideal times. These are guidelines only.
Overtaking on the course: we ask you to always keep to the left. If you need to overtake, then overtake on the right giving a wide berth to the runner in front. Much of the route will be in an open setting so that it will be possible to pass others giving a 2m wide berth. On the occasional enclosed narrow sections, please wait to pass/give way if appropriate to overtaking runners. Proximity to others, we feel, will be less than in your weekly shop!
The route is in and around the lovely Piercefield Park, a grade 1 listed historic landscape, next to Chepstow racecourse and on easier parts of the Wye Valley Walk. In the photo above you can just about make out what remains of the former grand house and stables. In the distance you can see the rock ramparts of Wintours Leap.