The cross country season properly gets underway with the first Start Fitness North Eastern Harrier League fixture of the season at Wrekenton on Saturday, September 30.
This unique handicap event where runners run from packs called slow, medium and fast, with a time allowance between each one, is going from strength to strength.
The organisers have ordered 3,500 numbers for the forthcoming season to cater for the growing number of club runners expected to turn out for the six fixtures.
With 10 events on the programme for all age groups and both sexes, plus two open events for Under-11s, the meeting has to run like clockwork.
The slick organisation and the rapid results service for the number of athletes taking part is the envy of many leagues up and down the country.
The event has grown to such an extent that as well as a suitable course to cater for the number of runners attending the events, car parking requirements are also a main issue.
Gone are the days when car parking was not given a second thought and many good cross country courses have been lost in recent years through the shortage of parking spaces...