The first race of the 2015/16 Winter Grand Prix Series takes place on Tuesday, 6th October 2015.
For new members to the club, the Winter G.P. is a series of six 5K races along the Quayside which take place on the first Tuesday of every month* between October – March (*weather permitting). The races start and finish near to the Royal Marines Reserves Base (Anzio House, NE6 1BU).
Points are awarded on competitors finishing position, 1st place = 150 pts, 2nd place = 149 pts etc, with the member accumulating the most points at the end of series being declared the winner.
Due to popularity of the event, race organisers need to implement a few guidelines to ensure;
a) The safety of all runners, volunteers and general public on the course.
b) The good name of Tyne Bridge Harriers is preserved among the local community and future events are not put in jeopardy.
c) Race results can be processed as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Please can you read and take notice of the following;
Racing
Competitors must register at East End Pool between 6:00 – 6:30pm on the evening of the race. The Registration team will be sat at a desk and it is the athlete’s responsibility to register.
Upon providing your name, competitors will be given a ‘race number’ which must be kept for the duration of the Winter Series. Should you lose your number, a replacement can be obtained for £1 on the night.
When everyone has been registered, members jog the 1 mile distance to the race start as a pre-race warm-up.
The first event of the series is a straight race, with all competitors setting off at the same time. A Lead-Bike and Tail-Bike will be in operation to ensure runners follow the correct course and no-one becomes isolated during the race. In order to obtain results as quickly and as accurate as possible, competitors must follow the instructions of the race marshals at the end of race.
Results from Race 1 will be used to set individual starting times for the following race. (Subsequent races are handicapped, meaning quicker runners have to wait a period of time before they can set off). Race 1 will be a straight race, with everyone starting together at 7:00pm.
Members will be aware of the club policy where we kindly ask competitors to marshal at a GP in order to run in a subsequent GP series. If any runner is unsure if they are able to participate in the Winter Series, please get in touch and we will be happy to confirm based on the event results/records from previous series.
Safety
It is compulsory for all runners and marshals – including cyclists – to wear hi-visibility clothing i.e. club vest, light clothing or hi-viz bib. Refusal will mean non-participation in the event.
The wearing of music headphones is prohibited.
As with all events, competitors must follow instructions from marshals.
Environment
The race start/finish line is adjacent to a housing estate and, out of respect to the community, members are requested to keep noise to a minimum level and restrain from urinating in surrounding areas.
Anyone seen urinating in a public space will not be allowed to run.
Volunteering
** Volunteers are asked to make their way directly to the start between 6.15 – 6.30pm to register for duty**
There are a minimum number of marshalling points that need to be filled during the event.
Members wishing to volunteer can contact either Catherine Eaton or David Daniels.
As a reward for helping out, volunteers will receive 100 points. Please note, the continuation of the series is at risk if roles are not filled at races.
A map of the course can be view below.
Winter Grand Prix course.
