5-6 miles of hills, mud and water. The XC races are hugely enjoyable events, but are also a chance for runners to run as part of a team field where time does not count.
The overall league is scored on a positional basis; individual times are also recorded and are used for league category awards and the Lichfield Running Club’s own trophies.
Events for 2026/26:
TBC
2025/6 Season Report
by Charlotte Wesley
The 2025–2026 cross-country season began back in November at Foremark Reservoir. A crisp, sunny morning greeted 27 LRC runners, all eager to swap warm beds for cold fields and questionable life choices. It was the perfect start to another season of mud, hills and camaraderie.
Next up was Etwall Equestrian Centre. Wet, muddy, twisty and relentlessly undulating, it was a proper cross-country course. Twenty-six hardy souls took part and the event proved memorable for many reasons… if you know, you know!
Allestree Park followed at the end of January. The coldest race of the season featured the longest route and several challenging hills designed specifically to test both fitness and character. Nineteen brave souls battled not only the course but also the infamous car park.
Boothorpe can be summed up in one word: MUDDY! Sixteen runners tackled the mud and hills and, remarkably, everyone managed to leave with both shoes still attached.
Statfold introduced a brand-new course to the league. Nineteen runners turned up to conquer it, including a welcome return for Carly and a cross-country debut for Mitchell, who somehow enjoyed himself enough to promise he’d be back. The course also featured a surprise extension thanks to some uncertainty over the route. For the second time this season, results required manual correction! The silver lining? LRC secured both the Men’s Team and Mixed Team prizes.
Heading into the rearranged final race at Sinai, all we needed to do was field a team. Seventeen runners made the dream happen, with special thanks to Marco for joining the squad. Following another muddy outing, everyone headed to The Albion for presentations, where LRC were crowned Men’s Team and Mixed Team champions. Every runner contributed to that success; whether you ran one race or all six, every point mattered.
The celebrations concluded in true cross-country fashion with a curry at Lal Bagh, where awards were presented to those completing five or more events. Congratulations to our overall season winners : Chris (1st), Andy C (2nd) and Will (3rd).
What a season. What a team. What a club.
Thank you to everyone who ran, supported, encouraged, made cakes and brought smiles to every event. Here’s to another fantastic season in 2026–2027!
Club Awards
In addition to the League prizes, the club awards its own trophies; these are based on individual improvement targets, with the best three results to count. An explanation of the handicap system can be found here.
2025/26 results
Coming soon!
2024/25 results
1st: John Doyle 291 points
2nd: Ian Buckner 288 points *
3rd: Dan Floyd 288 points*
*2nd place decided by a count back of results
2023/24 results
1st: John Doyle 294 points
2nd: Esther Hunt 293 points
3rd: Matt Allan 290 points
