Club Handicap Series 2026
The Club Handicap Series has now finished. Well done to all members who took part and a huge thank you to Shannon and Tom for making this year’s series such a success. The results are in and once the winners have been notified and presented with their awards, the final results will be published.
The Club Handicap is back for 2026 and is designed so everyone can get involved, whatever your pace.
This year the series is all about personal improvement. Rather than competing on outright speed, runners score points based on how much they improve against their own benchmark.
How it works
There are six 5K evening races across the season.
Your first race sets your initial target time. After that, each race is scored against your fastest previous time in the series.
If you run faster than your current target, that new time becomes the target to beat.
Runners are ranked based on percentage improvement, with the highest improvement receiving the best score. There will be separate male and female standings.
Your best three results will count towards the final standings, and the winner is the runner with the lowest overall points total.
You can run as many or as few races as you like, but to qualify for the overall series you must complete one seeding race and at least three scoring races.
If you simply want to come along for a run, that’s absolutely fine too – the races can be treated as a training run or benchmark effort.
Why it works
The Handicap Series rewards improvement rather than outright speed, helping to level the playing field across the club.
Whether you’re aiming for a new PB, returning from injury, or just looking for some extra motivation, every runner has something to compete for.
It’s simple, competitive, and a great way to track your progress throughout the season.
We’ll also do our best to finish near a pub whenever possible.
Dates
16th April StoryTeller14th May Ladies 5k11th June Helipad16th July StoryTeller13th August Ladies 5k
Club Championships
Your fastest 5K time from the Handicap Series will also count towards the Club Championships, so it’s well worth giving it a proper go.
If you’ve never done a handicap race before, this is a great place to start.
Fair Play
Times are expected to reflect an honest effort. The Handicap Series works best when everyone runs to their normal level. The club reserves the right to review or adjust targets where results appear clearly inconsistent.
Club Handicap Scores 18th July