Saturday Racing

I am a keen runner who happened to be a Christian, therefore finding it hard to attend most races as they are held on Sundays. Why aren't the organisers doing many races on Saturday? A significant number of us are being deprived of the chance to take part in organised event in a sport we love. Help!!

By the way, are there any Christians around Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire keen to get some races together. Or otherwise, are there any races being organised in these areas on Saturday?
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Comments

  • There's a 10K in Ealing (London) on Saturday 19th October at 11am. For details go to http://www.strand-uk.com/rer/

    Otherwise try cross-country, all the races are on Saturday!

    Good luck

    John
  • There's the Cheddar Half on 9th September, Neyo. That's a Saturday. Lots of us will be there.
  • I quite agree! My daughter and I have recently taken up running, but it's difficult to find runs on a Saturday, and although I'm happy to miss church occasionally for a special event like Race for Life, I don't want to do it all that often. Having said that, we have been wondering about the Brighton 10K on 17th November - it's only about an hour's ride from Croydon.
  • I guess church and the social bit afterwards
    Havent done that for 20 years but I seem to remember it occupying a lot of Sunday
  • I think it does matter. Going to church on Sundays is kind of fundamental for Christians!

    Which makes my own position rather hypocritical, since racing on Sundays prevents my husband from going to church with our two younger children (Kevin goes along but sets up the Traidcraft stall and helps with tea rather than going to Sunday school, and Ivor won't go and isn't welcome anyway because the vicar's wife gets twitchy when he mooches around the graveyard on his own, so I stay at home with him anyway). On the other hand, he goes to church every Wednesday and could go to the early service on Sundays if he would get out of his pit in time.

    For some, there's the whole Eric Liddle type issue of whether or not it's OK to compete on a Sunday at all.

    I think people like Neyo who adhere firmly to their beliefs in the face of the massive temptation provided by races are to be respected. Taking my more practical approach is easier, but the path of true discipleship is a narrow one.

    And what about people like Sassie, who are priests and therefore can't opt out of Sunday obligations?

  • I don’t think we are arguing about abandoning Sunday races here what we are saying is that the beliefs of other need to be respected.

    I personally do not believe in a lot, apart in the belief that others should be allowed to believe in what they want.

    If you do not want to miss church on a Sunday Morning there are a few races dotted around that kick off on an afternoon, if it is a whole ‘not compete on a Sunday thing’ there are two options that I can see:

    1) Join a club and get involved in the local cross-country league – these are normal on a Saturday
    2) In the summer – evening races are becoming more popular so keep an eye out for them and move your racing to during the week.

    Contact the local division of the AAA and they should be able to provide you with a fixture list

    Will
  • Thank you all for your response to my thread. I never realise that it will generate such a response regarding racing on Sundays.

    WildWill, thanks for your advice about joining the local runnng club. I am going to find out more this week

    I am still keen to hear from others who feel the need for more Saturday racing.

    By the way, any idea where I can get an October's copy of the RW?. I can only find November in my local shop (which I have bought and ravenously read. Mom-in-law's christmas gift is sorted, I think! - subscription to RW)
  • If you contact RW (you can e-mail them from the homepage, I think), they'll let you know about buying back numbers. Alternatively, I have the October issue and don't normally keep them, so could send it off to you today in return for a small donation to charity - e-mail me with a forwarding address if you'd like it. It's intact apart from the fact that I've cut out the universal race entry form.

    Hope to see you at some Saturday races!

    Cheers, V-rap.
  • You could always run on the Sunday to raise money for your church. That way, even though you are not there in person, you are still contributing.
  • neyo

    I live close to where H,B&B join and like you wonder whether there could be a better spread of races across Saturdays & Sundays (there are already several other family things that get in the way of going to church on Sundays that running always seems like an extra one).

    Like you I wouldn't advocate stopping races on Sundays (as an earlier writer implied you said) but it would be nice to have more choice. (I guess one of the issues is that it's traditionally been easier to close roads on Sundays, although that logic is getting more dubious these days.)
  • Nick, thanks for your response. As you have correctly pointed out, my "beef" is for th organisers to consider putting some of the races on Saturday, and not cram everything on Sunday to the disadvantage of others who might feel the same way as I do.
  • I am from the 3 counties mentioned working in St Albans and living in Eaton Bray near Dunstable. I agrea that there should be more of a choice as far as races go.I am a christian but I am sure others would also benifit from having more of an option on when to run.
  • Hi neyo

    My Dad, husband and I are all Christians and runners and whilst we don't have any moral problems ourselves with racing on sundays, we would like more races on saturdays because we miss the main church service of the week otherwise.

    I think there is a general feeling on this thread that we are not suggesting that races on sundays should be stopped, but it would be nice as Christians to be able to do both racing and worshipping at the weekend.
  • There's also the issue of public transport being even more non-existent and unreliable on Sundays than on Saturdays.

  • Paulie
    Although we've never sorted ourselves out well enough there are at least 2 forumites in Pitstone, I'm in Cheddington and there are a few more scattered round Dunstable - Aston Clinton - Berko.

    What sort of pace do you like to run at?
  • I would also like to see more Saturday racing. Apart from Laura's excellent point about local transport on a sunday, I find that Saturday is the night I tend to go out. Being at the mercy of a 17 year daughter/babysitter means we have to go out when it suits her rather than us. I'm sure I'm not the only one whos not at their best on a sunday morning. Dont get me wrong, despite my nickname, I'm not talking about getting rip-snorting drunk but I'm not going to drink soft drinks when I go out on a saturday just because I've got a race the day after. I'm not sure that I'm the sort of ally Neyo is after but I imagine the joint forces of God and Stella drinkers could be one worth reckoning with.
  • It's grest to know there are other christian runners out there! As I said before, it's not so much that attendance at church is compulsory on a Sunday morning, but it's the only time our church gets together as a whole. I can pray / worship just as easily when I'm running as I can in church, but I suppose I feel it's a bit like missing a family get-together! My daughter and I have decided we'll look out for saturday races and select the occasional Sunday one if it's close enough.
  • Hey Lagerman! There are a few Christians who drink as well, y'know!! We do live the same kind of lives as everyone else and that was the other reason I would like to see more races on saturdays...but I thought I'd let someone else admit to it first!!
  • TRY THE DISCOVERY 10KM MISSED THIS YEAR RACE (28TH SEPT) WE HAVE ABOUT 500/600 RUNNERS MOSTLY FROM HOLLAND ,THIS IS HELD IN HARWICH ESSEX.
  • A practical suggestion: join a club and start running cross-country races. They nearly always take place on a Saturday afternoon. Most clubs participate in X/C leagues throughout the winter, and generally welcome runners of any standard.
  • neyo

    Just spotted Wolverton 5m on Saturday 23/11 - see events thread - not too far from you

    Nick
  • Hi Guys

    What a relief to note that there are other Christian runners out there too! I would love to see more Sunday races. Maybe we should write in to all the running mags and groups etc to try to promote this....?

    H-R
  • Nick,

    Thanks for your information about Wolverton race. I've just downloaded the universal entry form for the race. Would you be there on the day? Once again thanks
  • Hill-Reps

    I presume you mean more Saturday races. By the way, as you might have read, Nick did suggest there is a 5 miler on Saturday 23/11/2002 in Milton Keynes. You might be intersted if you live close.

    It would be a good idea if more Christian runners could make themselves known and then maybe such request could be put forward. In the meantime, enjoy your running and stay safe .
  • I think Saturday races are a great idea, since I like to do voluntary work at the animal rescue centre on a Sunday, but also for all the reasons listed above. I'm from the North West and I remember doing my first races on a Saturday, these were 3000m races though on the track!

    Sometimes there's Sunday afternoon races, such as 2pm, now I'm not sure what time the Church service finishes, but have a look out for those races in your area.
  • Neyo

    Yes, I meant more SATURDAY races. Sorry.... (not a seventh day adventist as some may have thought!)

    Blessings....

    H-R
  • Hi,

    I am doing the Coniston 14 which is held on Saturday March 22 next year.

    I have never done a saturday race before, but, just a thought, wont there be more people and traffic about on a saturday making it harder to travel and park etc......
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