Striders participate in two cross country leagues: the Chiltern League and the Sunday League. In addition, we compete in championship events including the Herts County, Southern and National cross-country championships, as well as various relay and veterans-only races. The cross-country season takes place from September through February.

Chiltern League

• A series of cross country races covering the north west home counties, specifically Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.
• Senior Men and Senior Women run separately. The senior women's course is typically between 6-8km, whilst the men course is usually slightly longer at 8-10km. Specific details for each event will be listed on the website event page prior to the fixture.
• Fixtures are on Saturday afternoons from October through February. All fixtures are in the Striders event calendar, details of each individual event are placed on the website and events promoted on the Striders facebook page, whatsapp group and via email, as well as the usual announcements at track etc.
• Numbers:
  • After you collected your number, you will use the same number for the rest of the season. Retain the number and bring it along to every Chiltern league race for the remainder of the season (No need to register for subsequent races once you have collected your number).
  • Sign/up is done using the Striders event page(s) and will normally close 1-2 days before the event in order to allow time to process registrations.
  • Once registered, your numbers will be available for collection at the St Albans Gazebo on race day.
    
• You need to run in the approved Striders racing vest or equivalent T-shirt. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• You must be an England Athletics member to run in the Chiltern league

Sunday League

• A cross country league that covers north London and Hertfordshire
• Men and women run the same course at the same time - the distance is usually between 8 and 10k.
• Fixtures are on Sunday mornings from September through February. All fixtures are in the Striders event calendar, details of each individual event are placed on the website and events promoted on the Striders facebook page, whatsapp group and via email, as well as the usual announcements at track etc.
• No prior sign up is needed
• You need a striders vest to run. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• You must be an England Athletics member to run in the Sunday League

We also run in various XC athletic events:

South England Athletics Events (SEAA)

See the SEAA web site for further information to confirm the date and venue of SEAA events. Registrations SEAA events will be via the St Albans striders event web page once details are available.

English Cross Country Association Events (ECCA)
The ECCA national Cross country championship will be held in East Park, Sedgefield, County Durham on 21st February.

See the ECCA web site for further information to confirm the date and venue nearer the event. Registrations will be via a St Albans striders web page, once details are available.

Hertfordshire County Amateur Athletic Association Events (HCAAA)
We have had great success previously at the Hertfordshire Cross County Champs, which will be held in Stevenage on 3rd January 2026.

Registration for this event will be via the Striders event web page in December. Be sure to put this date in your diary!!

Q: What shoes do I need?

A: Your shoe choice is down to personal preference and what you think you will fare best with on the course. I will try to advise on the specifics of the course in advance; some courses are more suited to trail shoes (e.g. Sunday League at Cassiobury Park) other races are more suited to spikes (Chiltern League at Teardrop Lakes)

Q: Do I have to be a fast runner?

A: Absolutely not! The Chiltern League is scored on a reverse scoring basis, which means that every person we have scoring contributes to our overall team score and may push other club's scoring down. Both leagues are very much the more, the merrier.

Q: How do I get to the events?

A: Most of the events have parking options and several are easily accessible on public transport. I will try to flag the various options for transport on the specific event page. Where possible, both for the environment and for parking purposes, I would encourage you to car share.

Q: What time do I need to arrive before a race?

A: It's advisable to arrive 30-60 mins prior to a race to allow you to familiarise yourself with the course and pick up your number if not already allocated. Often there are long queues for the toilets so this should also be factored in to your time considerations. For Chiltern League races, we encourage whichever gender is racing last to arrive early in order to support their team mates in the races beforehand.

Q: What do I do if I lose my Chiltern League number?

A: Replacement numbers for the season cost £5 to cover administration costs. If you lose your number contact one of the Cross Country Captains before race day so a new number can be provided.

Q: What if I have signed up for the Chiltern League but can no longer run any of the events?

A: If you have registered and no longer plan to run, contact one of the Cross Country Captains so the number can be re-assigned. The club is allocated a certain quantity of numbers so it's helpful for us to be able to reallocate numbers if they are not in use.

Q: Are spectators and cheerleaders allowed?

A: Hell yes, the more the merrier