For the 6th year running we are holding the Windle Annual Virtual Endurance challenge, or WAVE this November. Just as the days are getting shorter and the weather's a bit less inviting, this is the motivation you need to keep your fantastic summer running habits going a bit longer!

Starting on 3rd 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. 
This year there will be 3 categories: Invincibles, Inbetweeners and Open, 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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You don't need to do all the distances every week, 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.  

If that's not enough to tempt you, there are trophies to be won.  And anyone who has been to the Christmas drinks in recent years may remember some very large boxes of chocolates for the winners too!

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How far do I need to run?  ​

Each week, please submit your best time for a 5k and 10k as well as your age grading (a link to "Fetch Everyone" is provided to calculate this bit).
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Additionally you can submit your time & age grading for one 10 mile run during the month too.

You will also gain 2 points just for participating in each of the two Cross-Country (XC) races in November (9th and 23rd).  Note that they won’t count as one of your 10k runs, as the distance is often shorter and the muddy terrain means they’re not really comparable with a fast 10k.
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Finally, when you plan your own 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 every 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 time and/or age grading, you will get 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, regardless of your time.

We only ask for your 10 mile run time 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]  

SUBMIT YOUR TIMES

FAQs

​Do my runs have to be official events? No. Your runs can be on your own, with friends, a parkrun, a Thursday self-paced club run, the Club 10k Handicap 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, Inbetweener and Open categories so you're only competing against people who are a similar pace to yourself!

I don't know which category I should be in.  If you train on a Tuesday, please put yourself in the group you most often run with (Invincibles, Inbetweeners, Ratpack (i.e. Open category).  If not, please use this as a guide, based on your typical finish time for a 10k. 
Ladies: Invincibles if over 55 mins, Inbetweeners if 48-55 mins, less than 48mins Open category.   
Men: Invincibles if over 53 mins, Inbetweeners  if 47-53 mins, less than 47 mins Open.

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, regardless of your finish time.

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 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!)