THE cross country season is certainly making a late start this year with none of our local leagues kicking off for another couple of weeks yet.

However, the first major competition of the winter is on Saturday when the inaugural Northern Cross Country Relay Championship is held at Graves Park in Sheffield. After our reminder a few weeks ago, entries for this one have now closed.

Most of our local clubs are involved with the Red Rose and Mid Lancs Leagues. All the fixtures in both leagues are on a Saturday this season, and the organisers have once again ensured that there isn’t a single clash of dates.

The Red Rose League nowadays has an online entry system on Graham Fecitt’s site www.race-results.co.uk so all team managers should ensure that competitors are registered by next Wednesday. Race numbers will then be distributed to the clubs before the first fixture.

The Red Rose has four matches, all before Christmas, and they are the first to start – at Wilson Playing Fields, Hyndburn on October 23.

Marl Pits, Rossendale welcomes the athletes on November 20, then it is the turn of Bolton’s Leverhulme Park on December 4, before the series closes at Witton Park, Blackburn on December 18. Like last year, the start times are 12.30pm for every fixture.

The Mid Lancs opens at the College Grounds, Barrow on October 30 with the league’s first fixture in our area being at Witton Park, Blackburn on November 13.

As usual, the league is combined with the UKA Cross Challenge Meeting at Sefton Park, Liverpool on November 27 and the Liverpool fixture will be subject to the Cross Challenge start times.

Towneley Park at Burnley and Lawson’s Ground at Blackpool follow on January 22 and February 12 before a trip to Beacon Park in Skelmersdale completes the calendar on March 12. Apart from the Liverpool match, the starts are at 12.30pm with the programme progressing in age group order.

The Mid Lancs and Red Rose Leagues have their own websites where you can get more details and download maps of the venues.

The first of the South East Lancs League meetings is on Saturday October 30 at Heaton Park, Manchester.

The other fixtures are at Clayton Vale in East Manchester on Saturday November 13, Lilford Park, Leigh on Saturday January 15 and Boggart Hole Clough, Blackley on Saturday February 5.

Only a few of our local clubs take part in this league, but remember that all the local leagues will take entries from individuals who are not members of affiliated clubs who can run as guests for a small fee.

Runners in the south of our area should also consider the Manchester Area League which commences on Saturday, October 23, at Heaton Park.

The dates are on Graham Fecitt’s site.