1st/2nd claim clubs

4 watchers

rf_fozzy Jan 2020 4:50pm, 8 Jan 2020 9,383 posts	0 rf_fozzy If I have a first claim club that affiliates for everything except XC, can I run "first claim" for another club that does run XC. An issue because my club (mainly a fell club) is considering stopping affiliating for XC and just doing road, trail and fell. So I may join another club 2nd claim. I know that some XC leagues have rules around 2nd claim runners, so it'd be useful to know what happens in the above case. Would I be 1st claim or 2nd claim for my "2nd Claim" club for XC?
Gobi Jan 2020 4:52pm, 8 Jan 2020 68,329 posts	0 Gobi As a rule if your club doesn't run in a league you can run for another club.
Gobi Jan 2020 4:52pm, 8 Jan 2020 68,330 posts	0 Gobi assuming you are a member of the other club :¬)
rf_fozzy Jan 2020 4:54pm, 8 Jan 2020 9,384 posts	0 rf_fozzy Yeah, if my 1st claim club stops affiliating for XC, I plan to join another 2nd claim. It's just whether I can then run "1st claim" for my 2nd claim club in XC. Or is that down to league rules?
Gobi Jan 2020 5:14pm, 8 Jan 2020 68,331 posts	0 Gobi Every League I have ever raced in has simple rules in that if your club doesn't run in that league you can join any club that is affiliated to the league and run for them. I used to run Oxford Mail for my first claim club and joined Aldershot so I could run in the Hampshire league. When it came to something like relays you then had to run for your first claim club.
westmoors Jan 2020 5:21pm, 8 Jan 2020 3,718 posts	0 westmoors According to UKA rules, if your first claim club does not have a particular section (eg XC), then you can compete in that category for your second claim club. We had a similar situation a few years ago when one of our good road runners switched to first claim with another club to improve her track stuff, but remained 2nd claim with us. Her 1st claim club didn't have a road running section so she was able to compete for us on the road.
HappyG(rrr) Jan 2020 9:26am, 9 Jan 2020 33,816 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) I think if your 1st claim club is not represented at any event, league, champs etc. then you can run for your 2nd claim. For XC locally, at the way low down level that I'm at, if your 1st claim doesn't have a team, even if as an individual you would contribute to league points, then you can run 2nd claim. Might not be strictly correct, but if no one from your 1st claim is there, then they won't know (well, they will from results, photos and social media, but hey!) Might be much stricter at the sharp end. But then at the sharp end, your 1st claim club should have big turn out. Anyhoo, all the rules should really only count for the top half dozen clubs or so, because at my level, it's all just plodding round for fun! G
BaronessBL Jan 2020 9:43am, 9 Jan 2020 7,975 posts	0 BaronessBL That's certainly my experience as well. Our club runs in the North Essex/South Suffolk League but we get quite a few second claim people who run for us in that league because their first claim only does the Suffolk League XC.
Roberto Jan 2020 9:56am, 9 Jan 2020 902 posts	0 Roberto The club membership secretaries should be able to support you with all this. However, I know when I was changing clubs, there are "other discipline" forms on the england athletics website. So if your 1st claim club doesnt affiliate for a certain discipline, you can apply to be able to affiliate for that discipline with your 2nd claim. Guess it depends on the strictness of the league and pettiness of your 1st claim club etc. englandathletics.org
larkim Jan 2020 10:00am, 9 Jan 2020 9,930 posts	0 larkim Different leagues have different rules - it's always up to them as to how they handle it. e.g. I'm first claim for a T&F, XC and Road affiliated club. I'm 2nd claim for a XC, Road and Fell club. One road league allows me full status in their races, running for the 2nd claim club. One XC league wouldn't allow me to run for the 2nd claim club at all, even though my 1st claim club isn't part of that league. Separately, I can register with EA to be a 1st claim member for Fell running (if I wanted do - I don't!) for what would normally be my 2nd claim club if I wanted to run in any fell races which had a 1st claim requirement (my eldest son has this arrangement). EA only recognises (really) 1st claim performances, e.g. if you were running national XC, county champs races etc you need to have first claim status for the club that you're running for (but as noted above, you can have first claim status for a secondary discipline with a 2nd club if the 1st club isn't affiliated to EA for that discipline).