Our monthly Club Handicap is open to all and takes place on the second Tuesday of the month year-round. There is a Summer series and a Winter series, each with six rounds. Sometimes a series may comprise the best 5 runs from 6. This would normally happen to allow volunteers to skip an event without losing points and would be confirmed before the series starts. If an event is cancelled (normally due to winter weather) the series totals will take that into account. The summer course is normally an undulating 5.5 km. The winter course is a flatter 5 km.
Participants start at different times based on a handicap which is calculated from their previous finishing time (new runners give an estimated time). Points are awarded depending on position. The runner with the most accumulated points is awarded a prize at the end of the series.
Virtual Runs
Individual runs outside the normal club session can be accepted at the organiser’s discretion. Any such run must be over the official course confirmed by GPS evidence (Strava etc). The run must completed and submitted before the results for the round are published.
Handicaps & Predicted Times
Runners who have competed in a previous series will have a predicted time calculated from their previous result. For those who haven’t the handicap administrator will typically use a recent ‘race effort’ performance. The time predicted will be the runner’s ‘time trial’ performance and a handicap will be calculated based upon the differences between individual predicted performances. Any runner without a handicap will be allocated a start time based on their own estimated time but won’t be eligible to score points on the night. Their net time on the night will be used as a ‘time trial’ to set a handicap for the following event, when they WILL be eligible for points.
In subsequent events, handicaps are calculated with reference to the best time an runner has recorded in the series (initial predicted times are ignored once a ‘competitive performance’ has been recorded). The organiser reserves to right to determine what counts as a ‘competitive performance’ to avoid runners deliberately recording slow times.
Summer Handicap Course
Route map for DCH Summer Handicap by Durham Cow on plotaroute.com