Congratulations on your selection for the Norfolk Schools cross country team competing at the English Schools Cross Country Championships 2026. This event is taking place on Saturday 14th March at Sefton Park, Liverpool. Full details of the event can be found on the English Schools AA website (www.esaa.org.uk).
You will be required to travel on the coach with the team on the evening of Friday 13th March and the morning of Saturday 14th March.
Throughout the duration of the trip, you will be supervised by six members of teaching staff who will act as team managers on the day of competition.
Friday 13 March:
Travel to the hotel
The coach will leave
1:45pm - Thorpe St. Andrew School, Norwich
2:pm - Thickthorn Service Station, Norwich
2:50pm – Kings Lynn (Dragonfly Hotel – entrance to the hotel carpark)
Friday evening meal
On the way we will stop off at services where the athletes will have their evening meal. They will need to bring money for this meal.
Hotel Accommodation
We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Wigan -Martland Mill, Martland Mill Lane, WN5 0LX. HOLIDAY INN LINK
At the hotel you will share a room with another member of the Norfolk team. Please indicate on the google form if you have a preference as to who you would like to share with, and I will consider this when I allocate rooms.
Evening
During the evening, there will be a team meeting where we will issue the running numbers, vests if needed, and share important information. Vests can be borrowed, or bought for £23. Please indicate on the google form if you require a vest.
Saturday 14 March:
Saturday breakfast
We will have breakfast before leaving the hotel to travel to Sefton Park. This is included in the match fee. Please let me know on the google form if there are any special dietary requirements that I need to let the hotel know about before we arrive.
Travel to Sefton Park
We will then travel on the coach to Sefton Park after breakfast. You will need to be wearing your running kit at this point as there will not be changing facilities at the venue.
At Sefton Park
We will have a Norfolk gazebo again as our base. Each team will walk the course together so they can plan their strategy for each section. It is also advisable that you wear running spikes to race in on the day as the course is likely to be very muddy depending on the weather preceding the event and therefore slippery.
Race times
12:30pm Inter Girls 3.8km
1pm Junior Boys 3.2km
1:30pm Junior Girls 3.2km
2pm Inter Boys 5km
2:35pm Senior Girls 4.4km
3:05pm Senior Boys 6km
The map can be found on the English Schools website. ESAA LINK
Saturday lunch and snacks
Food outlets will be available at the championships on the day where food, drinks and snacks can be purchased, but I suspect these might be fairly expensive. You should have money for these, or bring your own supplies with you. Athletes may wish to buy their lunch at one of the services shops on the way as they have done in previous years.
Travel home
If parents are travelling to support you, then you are welcome to travel home with them after the races, but I ask you sign out with your team manager before you leave.
We will stop on the way home from the venue for those athletes who are travelling home on the coach, where an evening meal can be purchased, but additional money will be needed for this.
What to bring
Overnight stay items
Running kit (County vest, black shorts, tracksuit and safety pins for your number).
Running spikes
Clean clothes/footwear to wear after your race
Match Fee
There will be a match fee of £100 which must be paid before the day. The fee is to cover the costs for the English Schools entry fee, transport by coach and accommodation at the Holiday Inn. The Norfolk Schools AA has subsidised some of the costs involved to organise the trip.
In the past some schools have paid at least some or all of the match fee. It is worth checking with your Head of PE about this. However, I do ask that you please pay the amount first and then ask to be reimbursed by your school.
For those who want to pay by BACS you must do so before the day:
Sort Code: 09-01-52 (Santander bank)
Account Number: 42734502
Account name: Norfolk Schools Athletics Association
NB: Some banks use ‘Norfolk Schools ath assoc’
*Reference: ‘Athlete Surname - Age group (eg U15) - Gender’
*Please make sure you include the above details in the reference when you make your payment so that the match fee can be traced back to you easily.
**Please check with your school that they have paid the annual school subscription fee in order for you to be eligible to actually compete.
Athlete action point
Please could you complete the google form (5 minutes!) using the link below by 21 February 2026 at the latest. I will need to finalise the arrangements and complete relevant documents after this date and so this is a tight deadline.
Should you need any further information please contact me at Aylsham High School, or you can email me on jshaw@aylshamhigh.norfolk.sch.uk with any questions or queries that you have.
I look forward to seeing you on Friday March 13th. Once again congratulations on your selection for the Norfolk Schools cross country team.
Julie Shaw
Norfolk Schools Team Manager
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