Saturday Racing

Gaz is spot on with the problem with saturday road races. As a one time race organiser (never again!!) I can say unless you start the race at 5 am in the morning the traffic is just too heavy on a saturday, sunday mornings are the quietest time of the week to hold a road race. Road races also depend on the input and support of the local police force who in my experience prefer the sunday morning option. Saturdays are often taken up by other sports events that require police presence such as football matches. Obviously there is the option of holding races on quiet rural roads but then where would you find facilities near by that would be big enough to cater for lots of runners, showers, car parking etc?
Solution = Take up hill running!!!!!!

Just adding my voice to this thread as well, I am facing this conflict between wanting to get out with other runners for the 'long run' and missing my church family on Sunday mornings. A few more Saturday races would go down very well with me. Based near St Albans but able to travel reasonable distances.

Me too, HW and everyone else. With responsibilities for music on Sundays as well, I don't like to leave everyone else to it too much.
I am training for Flora half, having only really started proper running for the last month. I am doing a 10K to warm up in Regents Park in 2 weeks, but feel frustration that these 2 races will probably be it for a while. It is annoying, because I am just starting to really enjoy the whole thing.
I am based near Harlow, Essex, but could travel anything reasonable. More Saturdays!

The Seven Sisters aka Beachy Head marathon is also usually held on a Saturday. Fortunately in my running club we do our long run on Saturdays BECAUSE there are so many races on Sundays. This is ideal for me because I race less than once a month and therefore rarely have to miss church even if it isn't feasible to attend the 8am service. Although I dislike missing church, I feel psychologically and physiologically more geared up for a race on a Sunday than a Saturday - partly because of the gap after the end of the working week.

Really interested to read this thread. I can't justify missing church to race, and anyway I'm a Baptist lay preacher so I often have no choice anyway.

Having said that I have to admit that I'm not ready to race yet, but I would like to have that opportunity. Looking through the RW race directory for East Anglia (I'm based in Cambridgeshire)there seem to be hardly any races on a Saturday.

Thanks to all those that recommended XC, good lateral thinking. However I'm a big lad, and 200 yds of sinking into mud would finish me off.

Good to see that there are so many Christian runners.

A good race on a Saturday is the Rhayder round the lakes 20 which is always on a saturday in March. You will need the help of the lord on the following day to assist in the recovery of your thighs & calfs.
Failing that you can always convert to the jewish faith who have no such sunday issues!

I would prefer Saturday running too as long runs will allow good resting on Sunday hopefully

If anyone fancies a long distance walk on a Saturday:

As part of (OK almost all of) my preparations for the Trailwalk I’m going to do a 36 mile walk from home round the Aylesbury Ring trail on Saturday 31 May. I think it’s all well signed and it looks to have a good range of terrain but nothing too horrible.

The route
http://uk.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=480000&Y=215000&width=700&height=400&client=public&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=gb&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&scale=100000&out.x=8&out.y=7
starts in Cheddington (NE of Aylesbury) and joins the path near Long Marston then goes through Aston Clinton, Wendover, Little Kimble, Dinton, Waddesdon, Hardwick & Hulcott. It all fits on one OS map (Explorer 181).

I aim to leave by 7am and get round in between 12 & 13 hours.

If anyone fancies joining me and a few of the Trailwalk team members we’d be delighted to have company

Nick