We are the Newcastle University Athletics and Cross Country team. We cater for all disciplines and distances by offering high quality regular team training. We train at Gateshead International Stadium, Newcastle University Sports Centre, the Town Moor and Jesmond Dene. We have highly qualified coaches who help our athletes to progress. As well as offering training sessions for those that want to race and compete, we also offer training for those that want to run to keep a high level of fitness or to train socially.
The club is open to all Newcastle University students and we encourage our Athletes to attend a variety of different training sessions; especially our middle distance runners. We are an England Athletics registered team and regularly compete against other clubs and universities. We enter all national BUCS competitions, which consist of a cross country race, an indoor athletics meet and an outdoor track and field competition.
The club has a rich history dating back to the 1960s. Back then the club only existed as a cross country team called the ‘waders’. The Athletics Club was founded in the 1970s.
Hello,
We have a 5K and 10K running event coming up on 28th February 2021 and I think it could be something your club would be interested in.
Would you be able to send me your email address so I can send you further information on this event?
Kind Regards,
Holly
I was a member of the XC and Athletics club during my time at Newcastle (1965-69). I confess that I never heard the term “waders”, even though I was XC captain in my final year (1968-69). The Athletics Club certainly existed well before the 70s. The year before I started, there was a match against Tübingen University in Germany. We ran at the old cinder track at Cochrane Park for home matches which tended to be fewer given that exams got in the way in the summer term.
The XC course was based at Close House (now an exclusive golf club) and was a very tough 7.5 miles out and back affair; playing fields, river path, road, very steep hills, ploughed field … Quite how we managed to mark the course for home matches I cannot remember, but runners never seemed to get lost. We staged the BUSF Championships once, but that was run around the grounds of Close House. Training every Wednesday was at Close House and during the week there tended to be laps around the Town Moor: three laps – one lap steady (=hard), one lap fartlek and then one lap steady (=very hard). Sometimes intervals on the paths across the Town Moor and sometimes running in the very deep mud inside the perimeter fence. Fixtures included the NE Harrier League and local road races, university races at Durham, Lumley Relay, Cathedral Relay, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester Relay, Glasgow, BUSF championships, Hyde Park Relay, Oxford, Bradford. There were races most weekends; on away matches our coach stayed late while the Durham coach went back early. Any Durham runners who wished to partake of the post-race festivities travelled back with us and we kicked them out on the way home. I have a couple of photos of the old days if you would be interested.