A HUNDRED-year-old cross country race was cancelled at the last minute on Sunday (November 20) when travellers parked their caravans on the start and finish lines.

Reading Athletics Club’s Ray Stevens and Tim Richardson arrived at Prospect Park at 7am to set up the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Cross Country Championship race.

They were dismayed to find that around 25 caravans were pitched up across the car park.

Mr Stevens and Mr Richardson set about getting the message out to the 600 members due to compete that the race, which was first contested in 1911 and has taken place every year since aside from during the world wars, could not go ahead.

“I am not happy,” explained Mr Stevens, who stayed in the park to turn away would-be racers until 1pm.

“They were by the changing rooms which we didn’t dare open, because they would have been in there.

"In the showers and the toilets. We also do teas but for the competitors. We couldn’t set up anything because they would have been there taking that. Nobody could park in the car park either.”

Despite working hard to inform racers, many missed the message and turned up at the park.

One person drove travelled the 40 miles from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

Mr Stevens went on to say that The race, which is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the athletics calendar, will not be rescheduled.