Smiling dog
14
Mar
Events

Something to smile about

Posted on by Neil Braidwood

We have all been missing our canicross club runs, but some good news from the Scottish Government last week means we are able to meet up in small groups of 15 people.

Unfortunately, those 15 people cannot cross a council boundary to get to the run, so we are organising one at Vogrie (for our Midlothian runners), and one in Holyrood (for our City of Edinburgh runners).

Sadly we don’t have any committee members who live in East Lothian, but any experienced canicrossers from EL would be welcome to get in touch with us about organising runs there.

These runs will be posted on Facebook, and ticketed (free) via Eventbrite in the same way our other runs were done last year. Just book yourself in and you’re ready to go.

We are sorry, but we must limit the runs to canicrossers with their own kit, as we cannot loan kit out on the day.

 

We ask you to follow the guidance below.

COVID-19 requirements

Scottish Government guidance should be followed in reference to regular hand hygiene and physical distancing.  A couple of vital things:

  • Do not attend any club event if you or anyone in your household are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19.
  • If you develop symptoms within 14 days of attending any CSE club run, you must inform the run organiser and adhere to the Scottish Government track and trace requirements.

Physical distancing and avoiding contact

People can meet in extended groups outdoors with physical distancing.  We’ll be starting back but avoiding any points of contact between members, and that means a couple of temporary changes. Initially, we’ll not be lending kit, so runners will need to have their own canicross kit to join in.  And we’ll not be collecting in membership cards before runs either. We hope to be able to change this soon and get back to welcoming new runners as soon as we’re able. We say more about keeping our distance below.

We’ll likely review and adapt this guidance with experience and as we transition out of lockdown.

Club Runs under level 4

  1. Groups will initially be limited to 14 people (15 including run leader at Holyrood and 13 people at Vogrie where there are two run leaders)
  2. We will be meeting in the overflow car park at Vogrie, which will give us a larger gathering area. Meet at the St Margaret’s Loch carpark for Holyrood.
  3. Runs will start on time and the group will not be able to wait for latecomers. Please be at the start and ready to run a couple of minutes before your assigned start time, to allow for a short briefing from the run leader.
  4. When signing up for a run you will only be able to sign up one person.
  5. Initially, we will be using Eventbrite to manage numbers. There might be a waiting list. If you sign up and then can’t make it, please update your RSVP or, if it is the morning of the run, message your run leader directly.
  6. We must maintain accurate records of all run attendees in accordance with contact tracing requirements. Please ensure the contact details we hold for you are up to date.
  7. Club runs will initially be restricted to paid-up club members with their own kit. There will be no kit for loan until further notice.
  8. We will not be collecting membership cards to confirm attendance.  With smaller runs, we anticipate a simple head count will be manageable initially. Can any participant leaving the run early, or finishing and leaving the venue before the run leader has reached the finish should ensure they ‘check out’ by messaging the leader.
  9. Social distancing will be maintained at all times by participants, with each other and with members of the public and other park users.
  10. Runners should give way and make space for other park users, and should run in single file when not in wide open areas, so that groups of runners do not block the paths for other park users or people wishing to overtake.
  11. We will not be undertaking mass starts. We will operate a staggered start (a few seconds apart) to ensure adequate spacing. Eventually, this will operate on a seeded basis, which will minimise as far as possible the necessity of overtaking. There will be a minimum of 2m between runners on the trail. Photograph: Stephen Andrews/Unsplash