Age Groups

Novice                          Must be at least 9 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 11 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Under 12                        Must be at least 11 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 12 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Under 13                        Must be at least 12 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 13 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Under 15                        Must be at least 13 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 15 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Under 17                        Must be at least 15 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 17 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Under 20                        Must be at least 17 years old on the day of competition and be
                                under 20 years old on 1st September prior to the fixture.

Senior                          Must be at least 17 years old on the day of competition.

Male Veterans
Over 40, Over 50,               Must be at least the age indicated on the day of competition.
Over 60, Over 70

Female Veterans
Over 35, Over 45,               Must be at least the age indicated on the day of competition.
Over 50, Over 60

Approximate Race Distances

Age Group                       Male                     Female
Novice                          1600m - 2000m            1600m - 2000m

Under 12                        2000m - 2500m            2000m - 2500m

Under 13                        3000m                    3000m

Under 15                        4500m                    4500m

Under 17                        6000m                    5000m

Under 20                        6000m                    5000m

Senior                          10000m - 12000m          6000m - 7000m
                                Over 70 6000m - 7000m

Rules for Competition

Only first claim members of a Club, College or School may take part in the Gwent Cross Country League.

Athletes competing for Welsh Clubs must be registered with the Athletics Association of Wales (AAW) before the day of the race.

All competitors over the age of 11 years must wear the registered colours of the Club, College or School being represented.

No "Guest" runners from within the catchment area will be allowed to compete in the Gwent Cross Country League, except on a 'once only' basis at the discretion of the League Management Committee, on payment of the requisite fee.

"Guests" from outside the area will always be welcome, on the payment of the requisite fee.

Entry fees must be paid as decided by the League Treasurer.

All Teams and Individuals must be properly declared at least 15 minutes before their race.

Athletes in the Under 23 and Veteran age groups should be declared as such.

Junior Teams: These will comprise of a maximum of 6 to count, with the first 4 of these scoring towards Team totals. If there are more than 6 runners then the declaration should indicate the runners in the scoring team and which runners are in each subsequent Team.
Note: A Declared team may consist of less than 6 runners.

Senior Teams: These will comprise of a maximum of 8 to count, with the first 5 of these scoring towards Team totals. If there are more than 8 runners then the declaration should indicate the runners in the scoring team and which runners are in each subsequent Team.
Notes: A Declared team may consist of less than 8 runners.

Scoring will be dependent upon the number of starters in each race. For example, if there are 80 starters in a race, then the first runner home will score 80 points, the second runner 79 points and so on. Only the first 4/5 runners score towards a Team total while the other 2/3 may usefully reduce the points to be scored by other teams! Furthermore Clubs, Colleges or Schools unable to enter complete teams may still achieve good scores through the efforts of a few talented individuals.
Note:Guests and Disqualified athletes do not score any points.

Veterans and athletes under 23 are additionally scored in their own sections.

Veteran Teams: There is a Veteran Team competition in the following age groups: Men Over 40, Men Over 50, Women Over 35 and Women Over 45. In these cases the first 5 runners will constitute the scoring team and the next 5 the 'B' team and so on.
Note:There is no team competition for Over 60 or Over 70 Males and Over 50 Females nor athletes under 23.

Within each age group or section, the totals for teams and individuals will be carried forward to the end of the season.

The League Champions (Teams or Individuals) will be those gaining the highest aggregate scores from the (5) fixtures held throughout the season.

If there is a tie (for Teams or Individuals) the relative finishing positions on a fixture by fixture basis will be taken into account.