Thornley Hall Farm Cross County

The first Cross Country of the 2026/27 season will be at Thornley Hall Farm this Saturday 26th September!!!!

The Race Start timings* are as follows:

• 12.00 Under 12 Boys

• 12.10 Under 12 Girls

• 12.25 Under 18 Men

• 12.30 Under 18 Women

• 12.40 Under 16 Boys

• 12.45 Under 16 Girls

• 12.55 Under 14 Boys

• 13.00 Under 14 Girls

• 13:20 Senior Women and Men / Open 65+

• 13:50 Senior Men / Open

*Times are approximate - please don't take as gospel, we'll try to work around them, but listen out for the whistle calling your race. Make sure you're up there in time to get warmed up and to the start.

Parking

Thornley Farm is accessed from the A181 near Wheatley Hill (Postcode DH6 3LY) about a 50 minute drive from Ponteland, as ever, it will be busy so I suggest that you don't try to cut timings too fine.

Please do not right turn across the A181 if travelling from the West. Go to the roundabout approx half a mile past the farm and then come back to turn left into the farm. 

There is a £3 parking charge CASH ONLY for this fixture. Please have change ready on arrival. Car hare if you can. There are usually groups going from Ponteland Leisure Centre.

The Course!

Terrain: 

All trail/off road/mud

Description: 

The polite description of the Thornley Hall course is 'challenging' but other descriptions are available. It is one of those places about which you can tell 'I was there' stories. Like the time it was chucking it down and the women’s team spontaneously burst into Wham! Club Tropicana (fitting) at the start. If you don't turn up, you can't tell those stories.

Special Features: 

The course also takes you right through Tent City, great for words of encouragement from your team mates! It gets a bit muddy sometimes too. 

Hill Score: Fair

Kate Bush, be running up that hill

Mud Xc Final Score: 5 XCs / 5 

Mud, Hills, more mud. 

It is the Women's turn to bake for this fixture.

Please can you let us know if your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the questions below by Wednesday 23rd September, by emailing crosscountry@pontelandrunners.org.uk.

1. Will you be joining the fun at Thornley Hall? 

2. Do you need a lift from Ponteland Leisure Centre?

3. Can you offer lifts from the Ponteland Leisure Centre car park? (11:45am departure for the women’s/Over 65s race, 12:15pm departure for the men’s race)

4. Can you bring any of the support equipment? Tent, Flags, Flasks etc. These now all live at the Memorial Hall in Ponteland, so no-one needs to keep anything in their house, garage etc all season. We just need volunteers to get them to and from the fixture and back to the Memorial Hall. 

Tent and Flags: these should ideally get there before the start of the women's race so they can get ready. If you are able to get there early and secure a good spot, please don't hesitate to volunteer. It also doesn't need to be the same person to return them to the Hall. 

Flasks: These need to be filled with boiling water. These do not need to be there from the start but certainly before the end of the women's race.  

Useful Information:  

Distance: The Women and Over 65 men run 2 laps, roughly 4 miles and the Men run [an unjust] 3 laps, roughly 6 miles.

Vests: You MUST be wearing a club vest to participate; this is a rule of the NEHL. One can be ordered via the Ponteland Runners Club Shop. 

Numbers: As this is the first fixture numbers will be given out at the Tent prior to the race by your Captains [Kelly, Arran and Guy]. You can check if you are already registered here and what pack you are starting in, note NEHL may not have completed processing by the time this email goes out. Please check again the day before the race and contact Kelly, Arran or Guy if you are missing. You use the same number ALL season. Please do not lose it, accidentally put in the wash, or feed to the dog, as a replacement will cost you £10!