Cliveden Cross-Country 6.2

Apparently its looking touch and go again...

This is one of my favourite races and it'll be such a shame if its cancelled again. The Burnham Joggers website mentions the estate roads as being the main problem - perhaps they could consider hiring a plough/gritter to clear them? Many local farmers have plough and grit attachments now as they are working on behalf of the local councils.

They should also definitely consider cancellation insurance for future events - losing the entry fee once was bad enough, but two years in a row would be very annoying indeed!

I guess it is the decision of the  National Trust.  I see that the estate does not open to the public until 13 Feb - perhaps if it is cancelled then there may be time to re-arrange it?

Provided there is a thaw that this...

 Happy Christmas...

From the website.....

RACE CANCELLED

It is with great regret that we have had to cancel this year's Cliveden Cross Country race.

The National Trust have advised us that the ground conditions are poor/hazardous with a lot of lying snow and the weather forecast shows little prospect of significant thaw before the 28th.

The main car park is hazardous due to ice and the paddock parking area is unusable due to deep snow.

In addition, the main toilet block is out of action until the New Year because of burst pipes.

The race committee are looking at the possibility of re-staging the event in the spring and runners are asked to hang on to their race numbers/chips for now.

Gutted - that`s two in a row for me for this event. I so wanted to race up those steps.

Treadmill here I come.

Perhaps I jinxed it? Entered for the first time last year and entered it this year...

Perfectly understandable, I live fairly near and its very icy in parts on the pavements/side roads

Spring - mmm - but Clivden will be open to the public then, unless the race is held early-ish in the morning

Will go for a walk instead on the 28th

Very disappointing!

I do hope they can re-arrange it, otherwise that's £14 down the drain two years in a row as well as the disappointment of not racing, and the wasted training out in the snow the last couple of weeks when I should hav etaken a break!

Like I said before, they should have cancellation insurance.

I hope they can reorganise it for the spring or thats two races we would have missed because of te snow. As we also missed Pednor 10. 

Just lurking on this one...the boxing day Aylesbury 5k was called off too

What a rubbish period right now

Not a good end to the year - missed a last ditch attempt at a sub 37 at Andy Reading due to winter vomiting bug (nice!), then the boxing day 5k cancelled, then Cliveden!

Let's hope the Bucks XC champs in Hughenden on the 8th Jan survives at least!

Bucks XC champs? What does that involve then Bus Boy? All the top dogs in Bucks thrashing it out?

 Have a race the next day so can't make it...especially if I might come last

Plenty of middle dogs and slower dogs too I hope! 

Here's a link (entries closed on 22/12 though). http://www.bucksaa.org.uk/

This looks like a good race, but I've only ever done one "proper" cross country like this one, back in 2005. There was certainly a spread of abilities at that one so you'd have done pretty well I guess if you've maintained your S.Bucks 10k form!

I came across this one almost by accident last year, as I think its quite club focussed being an "official" county champs race, but it's at Hughenden, which is my favourite training venue and very close, and only £5 to enter so I couldn't resist!  Last year's was postponed due to snow and relocated to Luton (not nearly as attractive a proposition!) so I didn't run it.

At 13km and hilly it's going to be a bit of a test as I've had a lot of time off and not done anything more than 6 miles since November!

What's your race on the 9th?

One of the Thames Valley cross country league races. A few of those to get through the winter (if not cancelled) and then it's Wokingham.

Slightlywondering where my long runs are going to fit in with the current weather and 3 or 4 sunday races before then though, bearing in mind we're only 6-7 weeks away!

Then probably Eastleigh 10k...super fast course...top 100 under 36mins type fare...then the usual suspects Maidenhead and Marlow.

No doubt be seeing you at at least 3 of the 4

Every time I've done a long run in the past couple of months some lergy's got me afterwards! 

I've entered Wokingham, but you're right - not many training weeks to go! I'm doing London for the first time this year, so won't be doing Maidenhead as its just five days after London (trouble with it having to be on Good Friday I guess!)

I'll probably do the Bramley 20 as well in Feb.  Eastleigh looks interesting though as I'd hope to be properly fit again by the end of March....

Bit of a poor show in some respects; there was barely any snow and ice left on the North Downs when I came back on the Wednesday, thaws happen fast in the UK.  Running was certainly tricky on roads/pavements during the snow and ice but a joy on open ground.

The National Trust does not open the estate until later February, so what is the problem with getting on with the event now?  With the £ millions they get in membership fees (including me!) they should have got the toilets sorted.

It doesn't look as if the NT is much keen to have hundreds of runners on site, they were quick to cancel and there seems to be no enthusiasm to make this event happen.

Just read your reply Bus Boy. Yeah get on Eastleigh, 100or so under 36mins says it all. There are some races to do to get high up the field, and some to get a time, and this is very definitely the latter.

Had a trip down to Gosport in November for the half (slight cold that week, just took the top edge off, ending 21 secs OVER the pb),. but showed me distance travelled doens't necessarily affect race performance. Eastleigh's slightly closer...so should be a  good one.

 Good luck on London. I'll have to clamp onto someone else at Maidenhead...a few people I'd beaten at Wokingham (on chip at least) got nicely under an hour, whereas I was scrabbling 48seconds over.

Probably a case of you need to be on course for sub 60 the whole way as otherwise it's easy to let it slip!

Stevie G - I always think the second half of Maidenhead is a bit slower than the first half anyway, so definitely one to bank a few seconds in on the early miles! Mind you, if you're on the form you were for the South Bucks 10k you'll be a long way inside the hour this year!

 Anyway, off to get covered in mud at Hughenden in a mo!

National Trust say they can't reschedule the event because of loss of entrance fees but the grounds don't open until Feb 19 and the 2010 annual report shows them with a massive financial cushion:

In the year to 28 February 2010, the total value of all investments increased from £734.6 million to £889.2 million. As noted above, the General Pool comprises the majority of Trust investments, and its funds under management rose from £597.6 million to £826.2 million over the financial year.

Think I'll be cancelling my annual bankers' order to the NT!

Latest from the Website.......link

It was a great disappointment for entrants and club alike that the 28th December 2010  Cliveden Cross Country had to be cancelled. The Race Committee has since then been in negotiation with the National Trust. However, with the Cliveden Estate now open to the general public, it has not been possible to re-schedule at Cliveden.

The Race Committee felt that they should at least organise a substitute event for the original entrants, even if another course would not have the charisma and challenge of Cliveden. This substitute event will be a 10km cross country at Black Park Country Park on 6th March, starting at 10:00. Many of you will be familiar with this venue in the form of the Black Park parkrun, a 5k run held every Saturday.

We can only apologise to those for whom the date is inconvienient but hope that as many as possible of the original entrants will be able to make it. No new entries will be accepted. Entered runnings should retain their race number and timing chip, if yours is missing please contact Cliveden Cross Country using the form on the About page of this website.

I've not done this one...but it does seem odd to give a completely different race as an alternative!?

Is it off for 2011 then Bus Boy? Didn't read that anywhere? Surely, it's just bad luck the last 2 years have been very bad weather. I don't remember a year like it before that.