The evenings may be a little darker, the streets a little damper underfoot, but don’t despair, we’re here to keep you motivated!!   For the 5th year running we offer you the Windle Annual Virtual Endurance challenge, or WAVE.

Starting on 4th November, for 4 weeks, we invite all runners to take part in their own time, across a range of manageable distances, and submit their times each week.  There are categories for Invincibles and “the rest”, and for women and men. And with the age grading adjustment, the seasoned striders can compete against the more sprightly sprinters, so there’s no excuse not to have a go.
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We’ve introduced a couple of changes this year but the principle is the same: you can do as much or as little as you like….but the more runs you submit, the more points you’ll rack up. And kudos, of course.  

What do I have to do?  ​

Each week, please submit your best time for a 5k and 10k as well as your age grading (a link is provided to calculate this bit).

You will also gain 2 points just for participating in each of the two Cross-Country (XC) races in November (10th and 24th).  Note that this year they won’t count as one of your 10k runs, as the distance and the muddy terrain mean they’re not really comparable with a fast 10k.

Additionally you can submit your time & age grading for one 10 mile run during the month too.
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Finally, when you plan your routes, your elevation at the finish point should not be lower than your start.

How do I take part?​

No registration is required. Just use this link: https://forms.gle/kagLjVsTxbXgeKqb7  to submit your time(s) each week.  The deadline is 8pm SUNDAY NIGHT.  You’ll get a weekly report on how you’re doing versus the rest of your category, so you can track your progress.

Every run that you submit will get you a point.  And if you’re placed in the top 6 in your category for either time or age grading or both, you will gain additional points. (3 points for 1st place, 2.5 for 2nd, and so on.) And remember you get 2 points for each XC you run.
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We only ask for your 10 mile run and your XC entries in week 4. 

What’s the catch?​

NO CATCH! It’s just a fun way to encourage a bit more running at this time of year, and help you sustain your summer fitness levels right into the winter months.
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If you have any questions please ask Shelley: [email protected]  

FAQs
​Do my runs have to be official events? No. Your runs can be on your own, with friends, a Thursday self-paced club run, or an organised event. We trust our members to submit their times honestly, because you're all a lovely bunch of people and wouldn't cheat.

Do I have to do all the distances every week? No you don't. The WAVE is designed to encourage as much participation as possible (the E is for Endurance!), so the more you run, the more points you'll accumulate. BUT it's worth entering even if you haven't managed many runs. Runners will pick up points with a decent age grading, and/or speed in one or two events.
Also remember that there are Invincibles and Open categories and last year there really weren't many entries from the Invincibles so any runner who identifies as an Invincible stands a strong chance of prizes!

Should I do a 10k as well as the XCs in weeks 1 and 3? Yes if you have the time. This year the XCs won’t count as one of your 10k runs, as the distance and the muddy terrain mean they’re not really comparable with a fast 10k. But you do get 2 points towards your WAVE score by coming along and running the XC for the club.

Can I submit my parkrun time? Yes this can count as your 5k time each week if you like, but don't use the parkrun age grading: they calculate it differently and don't share their data, so we choose to use a public AG calculator so it's a level playing-field for everyone: https://www.fetcheveryone.com/training-calculators-wava.php.

How do I send in my data? Every week before the dealine of 8pm Sunday evening, just use this link to the google form https://forms.gle/kagLjVsTxbXgeKqb7, or click the button above. Please please enter your data exactly as requested. Any errant colons or % signs play havoc with the data. (It also helps if you use the same name you registered as when you joined the club! And the same name every week. Seriously, it happens!)