Last of the summer Champagne

Runners in the Champagne League in the late 1980s. Brian Ward, 4th from left front row.

Next Tuesday approximately 140 runners will line up for the final race in the Champagne League organised by City of Hull Athletic Club. The Champagne League is one of the most popular summer race series on the calendar. It starts at the end of March and runners turn out every other week until all ten races are done and dusted.

This is a handicap series where runners are awarded points depending on how quickly they get round the course and compared to what the handicapper has predicted! So they are racing against the clock and against the predictions but of course there is also competition between local rivals. All the results from the leagues are on the runbritain rankings where runners can pick a rival and see how they compare on a head-to-head.

The Champagne League has been attracting and encouraging runners for the last 37 years! It started in 1974 when City of Hull wanted to spice up their Club Championship track races. They also put a couple of short road races into the mix. By 1978 other clubs asked if their runners could join in the fun. The race grew to 50 competitors. This was too many for the track and so it was moved onto quieter roads and trails in the countryside. By the early 80s entries had risen to 80 and were at 100 by the end of that decade.

The series has also had much success with recruiting more women into racing. In 1974 no women were running in the series. On Tuesday the organisers are expecting 48 to be on the start line. Teams were introduced in 1990 when there were six. Ten years later there were thirty!

Peter Jarvis started and organised the Champagne League until he sadly passed away last year. He is remembered by all who knew him for his love of running and how he supported and encouraged anyone who wanted to run, no matter what their level of fitness or ability.

One runner who has improved his runbritain handicap score by taking part in the Champagne League is Brian Ward. He spoke to us on the ipadio below.

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