Mercia Hill Trial

• Race Date/Time: Sunday, 23 January 2022 9:00 am
• Race Status: Date TBA
• Race Organiser: Mercia - Tim Kieniewicz - tim1983@hotmail.co.uk
• Race Registration Location: Priest Weston village hall, SY15 6DE
• Race Entry Type: Other (see description)
• Race Entry Fee (£'s): £12 in advance
• Race Total Ascent (metres): Medium course 620m; long course 1,060m
• Race Distance (km): Medium course 12.4km; long course 21km
• Race Category: Other

Notes:

The Mercia Hill Trial is a navigation event taking place on the Shropshire Hills. It is suitable for fellrunners and orienteers. The 2020 event will be from Priest Weston, on the border with Wales. You will be provided with a map showing the checkpoints/controls and the order in which you must navigate between them. There will be two courses:
Medium course – planner’s route 12.4km, 620m of ascent
Long course – planner's route 21km, 1060m of ascent

The mapping will be similar to Clwydian Sheeptracks using an OS map with orienteering circles.

You can compete individually or as a pair. You (or at least the lead entrant if entering as a pair) should have experience of a similar event and have the physical fitness to complete it before the courses close at 3pm.

Start times will be from 9.30am with runners starting at 30 second intervals. Entry limit is 100 runners.

Electronic timing using SI dibbers will be used. There are only 55 dibbers available to hire (£1 cost , one per solo runner or pair) or runners can use their own. The number of hire dibbers available may limit entries. A lost dibber will cost a runner £30 to replace.

Runners must be over 18; or if 16 or 17 they can run with their responsible adult as a pair.

The event takes place in January. The 2013 event was successfully completed by all the entrants despite blizzard conditions. Full kit as per the Welsh Fell Running Association’s safety rules will be mandatory and, additionally, the outer layer must comprise waterproof, not just windproof top and bottoms and runners must carry a spare insulating layer (spare = not worn whilst waiting to start). There is no food or water provided on the run so runners should carry their own.

Registration and the finish will be at Priest Weston village hall from 8am, with the start a short walk away.

Parking is limited in the village, to around 20 cars opposite the hall and overflow at the Miners Arms (permission received).

GREEN INCENTIVE - I will partially refund entry based on the following, if travelled from home -

• 2 runners in a car - £2 off each runner
• 3+ runners in a car - £5 off each runner
• Bicycle/ similar - £10 off each runner

Any profits made from the event will go to the Montgomery Wildlife Trust and the dibber hire fees to Wrekin Orienteers.

Pre-entry only via SI here.