We are affiliated to the MABAC running league which holds monthly cross country events in the surrounding Surrey countryside. All events are free to club members and typically around 5 miles long. As well as the senior races there are also joggers and junior events of about 2.5 miles. Each club in the league takes it in turns to put on an event. Blackwater Valley Runner’s home MABAC event is in Farnham Park in May.
The MABAC league is responsible for two open events in the local area:
- Surrey Slog, held near Peaslake in July – Blackwater Valley Runners organised this event for many years, and though they have passed responsibility back to MABAC they still help out with the course setup and marshalling.
- Cranleigh 14/21, held in Cranleigh in March – we also help out at this one.
The open events raise lots of money for charity each year.
We use the MABAC race results for one of our own internal club leagues, with club awards at the end of the year.
The MABAC Running League are probably the pioneers of road running in Britain, founded in the 1970’s (several years before Chris Brasher and John Disley started the London Marathon). The prime mover was Alan Blatchford who died in 1982. He organised a running group at the British Aircraft Corporation in Weybridge (now British Aerospace). Ralph Henley brought in runners from Matthew Arnold School, Ashford. Hence MA-BAC.
Clubs in the MABAC league include:
BVR – Blackwater Valley Runners
CR – Cranleigh Runners
DMV – Dorking and Mole Valley Runners
EO – Epsom Oddballs and Epsom Allsorts
MAGIC – Matthew Arnold Gym Instruction Club
PP – Pyrford Puffers
RPAC – Reigate Priory Athletic Club
RR – Runnymede Runners
WW – Wimbledon Windmilers