There are more than 30 opportunities to race for the club as part of senior membership.
Races are split into annual Summer and Winter seasons, each with a combination of local leagues, intra-club events, local club competitions and larger public or national events.
We race in both road and cross country settings, in individual and team relay events, over distances from 5K to marathon.
Alongside official club fixtures, members represent the club while racing independently at events across the UK and the world, alongside frequent attendance at parkrun events as runners and volunteers.
Members can view the current fixture list when logged in via the Member Zone.
Winter Season – September to March
Chingford League – a series of 6-8 local races on either road or muddy cross country courses, usually 5K or 5 Miles, but including a season finale of relays. Free to enter for members.
Metropolitan League – five cross country races with more than 20 clubs taking part in one location each across Essex, Herts, Middlesex, London and Berkshire. Free to enter for members.
Cross Country Championships – large events held at county, region and national level for all affiliated clubs. We take part in each of North London, London, Essex, Southern and National events, each on famously muddy and technical courses in venues that change from year-to-year. Free to enter for members.
Intra-club events – a winter edition of our club handicap and a Christmas-themed relay.
Local inter-club events – including the annual ‘Mob Match’ against our closest neighbours and friendly rivals, Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC, the Ware Cup cross country 5 mile event, Interclub Vets Cross Country Championships, the Essex Vets Cross Country Championships and the Mike Penman 10K in Victoria Park. All free to enter for members (subject to eligibility of Vet categories).
Summer Season – April to September
Assembly League – a series of 5K road running events in parks around the capital, for London clubs including Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC, Serpentine Running Club, Kent AC. Free to enter for members.
ELVIS: East London Five (V) Interclub Series – a series of 10-12 races of 5K or 5 Miles in parks local to each of the participating clubs, including East London Runners, East End Road Runners, Havering AC and others. All races have a small charge and need to be entered in advance.
Essex Cross Country 10K Series – a series of 5 10K races each in a different country park, once per month between May and September, from company The Race Organiser. Entry £15 per race or £13.50 if entering the whole series.
Midsummer Relay – The Physical Shield – a decades-old competition between local clubs including Loughton AC, Orion Harriers, Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC and others. Each club brings unlimited teams of 3-4 runners who each complete a 2-mile leg. Free to enter for members.
Public race events – Hackney Half Marathon and the London Marathon are the two biggest examples of public events that are included in our official fixture list. Members can enter independently or secure a place through club volunteering. Both events mark special days in the club calendar for supporting, racing and post-race social events. Additionally, Spitfire Scramble is a 48 hour running challenge in Essex with on-site camping that usually sees several teams of senior members take part.
Intra-club events – for our members only, we organise a summer club handicap event (whereby runners start at different times according to pace to give equal prospect of finishing first) and a social pubs running tour also visiting club history sites in the local area.
