01/06/2024 – 2024 League 6 – Leckhampton Downhill Chase

The top of Leckhampton Hill is fairly flat and has an ancient hill fort. However, the sides of the hill looking north, east and west form part of the Cotswold escarpment and are extremely steep. The area has been heavily quarried over the centuries, and this has left behind a wealth of contour detail in many parts. Much of the area is open grassland, but there are also some pleasant areas of woodland. The steepness aside, the area is generally very runnable.

1:7500, 5m contours, printed on waterproof paper, with control descriptions on the map. Brown will be at A3, but all other courses will be A4.

Many mountain bike tracks are not mapped.

Note that there are certain fences and walls that must only be crossed at marked crossing points. A special symbol has been used to show these...

Control descriptions will be text for Yellow, Pictorial for all other courses, except Orange which will have both. Loose control descriptions will be available in the start lanes.

The Start is quite remote, 1.2 km away with 110 metres of climb, first along a public road which becomes a rough track once it starts climbing. Children should be accompanied, at least on the first section along the road.

The Finish is located about 300m from assembly.

The String course will be by assembly.

Course details subject to final controlling. Course distances are straight line.

We will use SI Timing, in contact and touch free modes. All runners must however punch the Start and Finish controls.

You should allow sufficient time to complete your course and return to Download before the 14.15 cut-off point.

You MUST go to Download even if you do not complete your course – we need to confirm that you are back safely!

Whistles must be carried by juniors running on their own and are highly recommended for all competitors. If you hear a distress whistle, please go to assist.

The String Course will be located at Assembly.

In order to minimise demands on scarce volunteer resources we operate a 90 minute start window for this event, and we recognise that this can be a challenge for parents seeking split starts. We are happy to accommodate split starts provided:

• You let us know in advance that you need a split start. Do this by emailing the organiser, address in the introduction above
• You come early; the start team will normally be ready to allow very early starts sometime between 10:30 and the published 11:00 start time, so aim to be there soon after 10:30. We do not offer starts later than the published end of the start window.
• The shorter course runner goes first. We will not turn you away if you can't manage this, but it gives you both a better chance of beating the course closure time.

Entry Details

You should enter the course appropriate to your involvement in the NGOC league, if relevant, or whichever course you choose otherwise.

Starts: 11:00 - 12:30
Courses close: 14:00, meaning that you must report to download before 14:15, or risk disqualification.

SI dibber hire: Standard dibber £1 Adults, Juniors free

Touch Free dibber: £2 Adults, £1 Juniors

Entries are now open, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 29th May.

Entry on the day is possible only while maps last, but note the premium price to discourage this. We should by then be able to accept credit/debit card payments, but this is not guaranteed so bring cash just in case.

A helper discount is available for those offering to help on the day. These events don't happen without volunteers willing to help out on the day, so if you are able to do so, before signing up to enter, email Ian Prowse, Volunteer Coordinator, to let us know if you can help, and ask for the helper discount code that you can apply when entering. You don't have to be a NGOC member to help, but you do need to be a BOF member to be covered insurance wise.

As the Government has removed all restrictions on events and activities, COVID related refunds are no longer available. The standard Fabian4 terms and conditions offer an automatic refund up to 2 months before the event date, and we do not normally vary this specification. That means that in most cases no refunds are possible, as we do not publish details until less than 2 months before the date of the event.

However, for all except large events we hold entries open until only a day or so before the event, so you can delay entry if unsure whether you can run, until very close to event day.

Dogs are permitted under control on courses and in the parking field. They are also allowed in the clubhouse on a lead.

We will have access to the clubhouse where there are toilets and refreshments.

Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. Whistles compulsory for Juniors and strongly advised for all. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for terrain and weather.

The area is VERY steep in places, so care and grippy shoes are required. There are also a lot of very dangerous cliffs that must be avoided. However, all courses have been designed to avoid approaching cliffs from above.

All courses cross a very minor road which is used only to access a handful of houses. This will not be marshalled, but there is a one minute time-out to allow runners to cross safely without any time pressure. Take care!

There are cows on some parts of the area, which are there to help control the growth of scrub. They are fairly docile, but it is best to run around them and not too close.

Some parts of the Hill are popular with downhill mountain bikers, and they can travel very fast. Be prepared to give way if crossing a bike track. However, courses are designed to mostly avoid these areas.

Leckhampton Hill is also a popular place for walkers. Please be aware of, and courteous towards, other users of the area.