Organiser Martin Dietrich: martin@nym.ac

Introduction

The Cleveland Way Relay is a race on foot around the course of the Cleveland Way long distance footpath  (For further information on the Cleveland Way see www.clevelandway.co.uk) .Normally, the event is run from Filey to Helmsley, though occasionally it has been run in reverse.  The total distance is approximately 109 miles / 176km.

Teams

Teams consist of up to 16 runners, at least one of whom must be female.  It is intended that teams should represent an organisation (e.g. a running club or an orienteering club), though composite teams are acceptable where it is not possible to find sufficient participants from a single organisation.  Generally, competing teams tend to use from 14 to 16 runners.

Each runner must cover a distance of at least five kilometres.

Start and Finish

The event starts from Filey Landing Stage (i.e. the beach) at 5 am.  Although the start may seem very early, this is important in order to ensure that everyone finishes in Helmsley before the Fish and Chip shop closes!

The finish is the cross in the market place in Helmsley.  This is normally a good meeting place for all participants and supporters, as food and drink can be bought and there are several pubs nearby.

The actual time of the finish varies somewhat according to the speed of the teams, but most teams finish between 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

Necessary Experience / Ability

The event is aimed largely at running and orienteering clubs, though other clubs with a fit and active membership are welcome to participate.  Typically, teams incorporate a range of abilities.  The event is split into a series of legs of different lengths and difficulty, which allows a team captain (or other individual) to match their runners against suitable legs.

The event is not designed to be a test of navigational ability, though runners unfamiliar with the terrain are advised to take a map with them, as the official Cleveland Way signs are not always to be found.

Mini-mass start

In order for the event to avoid continuing into the night, a mini mass start takes place at Clay Bank at 2pm.  If the incoming runner for a club would not be expected to arrive before about 2:30pm, it is recommended that the next runner begins at 2pm.

Winners

The winning team is the team which takes the least aggregate time to cover the total distance of the event, in compliance with the rules of the event.  The team which arrives first is not automatically the winning team, as they may have participated in the mini mass start.

Entries

Entry to the event is free and there are no prizes.  All runners, helpers etc. take part at their own risk.  The event is run on trust; there may be one or two marshals, there may not.  If you would like to enter a team, please let organiser Martin Dietrich know by sending him an email martin@nym.ac

CLOK members who would like to be included in one of the CLOK teams should contact the relevant CLOK organiser (currently Chris Wright).

Access restrictions at a few of the changeover points may require team numbers to be limited, so please contact the organiser sooner, rather than later.

The Route

Runners must follow the course of the Cleveland Way, wherever possible.  There are two dog legs: Roseberry Topping and the White Horse.  These must both be visited.  There are no official routes through Scarborough and Whitby where runners may choose whichever route they please. In Saltburn however the route crosses the river then makes its way up Saltburn Bank via paths and steps, past the Band Stand then diverts back down onto the woods.

It is the responsibility of each runner to find their own way.  The route is better marked in some places than in others.  Markings usually consist of a “Cleveland Way” sign or an Acorn symbol.  These signs may not be too hard to follow when walking, but they can be more difficult to spot when running.  No special markings are used for the event.

Between Filey and Saltburn the route follows the coast i.e. the sea should always be to the runners’ right hand side.  In some places, however, there are several paths, only one of which is the correct (and normally shortest) one.  After Saltburn the route moves away from the coast.  Although the paths are generally well trodden, mistakes have been made in the past.

It is advisable to survey the route in advance.  When this is not possible, it is recommended to run with a map.  Although it is sometimes possible to follow other runners, they too can make mistakes, or run at a different speed!

The legs

Teams may split the event into legs of their own choosing, but experience has taught those clubs who participate regularly that there are good places to start and finish legs.  The standard legs are listed below.

Not only is it usually easier to handover at these points, it is generally more sociable, as all the teams tend to congregate in the same area.