Cancellation of Notts AAA Summer League Race 1 - Epperstone
The following letter has been received from Peter Tatton, Chairman & Acting Secretary of Notts AAA Road Race Sub-Committee, explaining the reasons behind the cancellation of the above race. It makes depressing reading, and is a sign of the difficulties which lie in the way of efforts to stage road races from now on, even ones which have taken place most successfully for years. I know that Peter, and Southwell Running Club tried their best to overcome the arguments against staging the race,but were unable to obtain a race licence, without a commitment to having to pay a significant fee for professional road traffic management of the course.
"I regret to inform you that race 1 of this year's Summer League has had to be cancelled.
This is due to the impossibilty of getting a licence to run the race on the planned course at a reasonable cost.
In previous years licence applications went to the local County Licensing Officer Derek Poole who was able to use his judgment & experience as to the safety of the course. The position of CLO no longer exists & applications are made direct to England Athletics & include the proviso that contact has been made with both the Police & the County Highways Authority.
Neither the Highways Authority or the Police are prepared to give their blessing to the event taking place unless a Traffic Regulation Order is in place to close the roads whilst the event is taking place. This involves the use of a separate Traffic Management company to put the relevant signage in place. Various road or part road races in the county have already been forced into this situation this year & the prices has been in the £ high hundreds or £'000s .
The economics of the Summer League do not allow for expenditure of this magnitude. Expenses from the hosting clubs came to £423 in total last year, but after provision of medals etc the overall surplus was only £38.
I would like to thank all those members of Southwell RC who have striven to overcome the obstacles put in their way.
The clubs represented at yesterday's Road Running Sub- Committee (minutes attached) decided that if Epperstone was to be cancelled the 2013 Summer League would be contested over 4 venues only.
The licence for the May run at Holme Pierrepont has been granted.
The remit of Highways & Police individuals involved in the Epperstone application does not cover the entire county.
Licence applications for later races in the series still in progress."
Peter Tatton
Acting Secretary
Notts AAA Road Race Sub-Committeee.
This report was brought to you by foxontherun
Comments:
Click here to return to all news articles.