The Essex XC Champs will take place on Saturday 3rd January 2026 at Gloucester Park, Basildon, SS14 3GR

Entries will close on Sunday 21st December 2025.

The courses will be multi lap and fairly challenging courses - course maps will be shared closer to the event. Please take note of cut off times for senior races below.

Race Timetable

Race 1 @ 9:45am – U11 G and B* (1.5km) (for girls and boys aged 9 or 10 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 2 @ 10:00am – U13G (3.1km)  (for girls aged 11 or 12 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 3 @ 10:20am – U13B (3.1km)  (for boys aged 11 or 12 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 4 @ 10:40am – U15G (4.3km) (for girls aged 13 or 14 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 5 @ 11:00am – U15B (4.3km)  (for boys aged 13 or 14 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 6 @ 11:20am – U17W (5.2km) (for women aged 15 or 16 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 7 @ 11:50am – U17M & U20W (6.1km) (for men aged 15 or 16 and women aged 17, 18 or 19 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 8 @ 12:20pm – Senior Women & U20M** (8km) (for women aged 20 or older and men aged 17, 18 or 19 on 31st Aug 2025)

Race 9 @ 1:10pm – Senior Men*** (12km) (for men aged 20 or older on 31st Aug 2025)

All race distances above are approximate.

*The U11 race will be a non-championship race.  Essex county medals will not be awarded for this event (individual or team).

**Senior women/U20 men - In order not to delay subsequent races, we are asking that all athletes should be capable of finishing the race (8km) in 65 mins (8:00 min/km pace).  Please consider this before entering.

***Senior men - In order not to delay the finish of the event, any athlete who has not completed 2 out of the 3 laps (8km) in 50 minutes (6:25 min/km pace) will be asked to retire from the race.  Please consider this before entering.

Team medals are 4 to score for all age groups (excluding U11) except senior men which is 6 to score.

This event will be held under UKA Rules.

All entrants must be a member of England Athletics and hold a current Athlete registration and be eligible to compete in Essex Championships (either by being born in Essex or have continually resided in Essex for the nine months prior to the event).

An entrant shall be deemed to have made himself/herself/themself, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the date of entering the event, whether or not the participant is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.