Indoor Champs: everything you need to know

UCL won LUCA Indoor Championships

This Sunday, 250 athletes will descend on Lee Valley for the second LUCA Indoor Championships.

Seventeen clubs have entered the championships with athletes entering a record 403 events.

The championships also mark the first race for the newly formed LUCA alumni club, Motspur AC.

The Indoor Championships are actually three separate championships rolled into one. Here’s a little explanation..

LUCA Indoor Championship (David Morgan Cup)

Simply, this is for the club with the most points. Easy, right? Individual medals are awarded in this championship too.

University of London Intercollegiate Championship

Just for colleges of the University of London. On Sunday, the following teams will compete for the trophy: St George’s, LSE, RVC, QMUL, Barts, RHUL, Birkbeck, UCL, SOAS and King’s. This will be the last time that Imperial will compete for the trophy after upcoming changes to LUCA rules of competition.

United Hospitals Athletics Championship

One of the oldest track and field competitions in the world. It has been awarded since 1867 and the shield itself is literally priceless. Only students from medical schools score points for this competition. Eligible students include those from; St George’s, RVC, Barts, UCL, GKT and Imperial.

So how do the points work?

The three competitions are run in parallel. There are no separate race for each competition. Instead, the points are allocated according eligibility for each competition. The points on offer are the same across all three championships; 1st = 4, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 1.

Everyone is eligible for the LUCA competition so that’s easy – points are given to the first three finishers. For the University of London Trophy, we count the first three UL students. For the UH Shield, we count the first three medical schools students. So if you’re a GKT student who finishes 5th in a race but you’re the first medic and the second UL athlete , you get no points for the LUCA Cup, 4 points for UH and 2 for UL. Simple, right?

What about seeding, heats and finals?

Athletes are seeded according to their expected times, as provided by team captains. The fastest expected times are groups together heat by heat. Athletes without expected times are seeded in the last heats.

The top 6 athletes from across the heats progress to the final, excluding guests.

Of course, this could result in no University of London or Medical Student reaching the final. Therefore, points for UL and UH are awarded to the three fastest athletes across the heats and final. The LUCA Indoor Championship points are awarded to the top three finishers.

If a UL or UH athlete runs in a heat and a final, their fastest time is taken.

What about the relay?

Relay configurations must be declared 1 hour before the event. Teams will be eligible for UH if they have at least 2 medical school students. They relay is run as final heats. So we take the fastest times across the heats and award them points.

Withdrawals and substitutes

Withdrawal and substitution forms will be available on the day. These must be handed to race HQ at least 1 hour before the event.

Field clashes

We recognise that many athletes will have track and field clashes. Please report this clash to the field team on duty and they will make time for you to participate in your track event,

Will there be mascot race?

Yes! Just before the 4X200 relay!

Massage and Kit shop

For the first time, we are pleased to announce that sports massages will be on offer for a donation of £5. There will also be a merchandise stall selling spikes and other equipment.

Entry list and timetable

The entry list has been published here. You can view the timetable here.

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About James Findon 164 Articles
James is the founder of LUCA.