Canicross events 2026

Canicross is a sport that involves running with a dog, where you are connected to your pup by a waist belt and a bungee line. It is a popular activity that allows individuals to combine their love for running and spending time with their furry companions.

To take part in a canicross event, your dog should be at least one year old and in good health. Your dog should be comfortable running alongside you for the duration of the event. It's also important to have a suitable canicross harness and a waist belt that securely attaches you to your dog.

Yes, canicross events are often designed to accommodate participants of various fitness levels. Some events offer different race distances or categories, allowing participants to choose the option that suits their abilities. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced runner, there's usually a canicross event suitable for you and your dog.

Training your dog for a canicross event involves gradually building their endurance and teaching them basic commands such as "go," "stop," and "left" or "right." Regular running sessions, starting with shorter distances and gradually increasing the duration and intensity, can help condition your dog for the event. It's can also help to consult a professional trainer or canicross expert to ensure the training process is safe and effective.

When attending a canicross event, you should bring the necessary equipment, including a canicross harness for your dog and a waist belt for yourself. It's also crucial to have a leash and collar, waste bags for clean-up, water and a portable water dish for your dog, and any essential supplies for your dog's comfort, such as towels or blankets. Additionally, it's a good idea to bring snacks, sunscreen, appropriate clothing, eg footwear suitable for running.

There are plenty of UK running events that offer dedicated canicross entries or waves; many are mainstream running events with a separate option for people running with dogs, rather than canicross-only fixtures. Current events include the Derbyshire Dales Trail Run at Bakewell and the Delamere Forest Half Marathon and 10K. If you’re browsing more generally, the trail running calendar is also worth checking, but always confirm that the race specifically allows canicross before entering.

UK canicross events can range from 5k races through to half marathons and even ultras. The Delamere Forest event, for example, offers both 10k and half-marathon distances to canicross entrants. That gives you the chance to choose something that suits both you and your dog, rather than having to always do short races. If you’re starting out, the wider 10k calendar and half marathon calendar can give you a sense of how those distances differ, although you’ll still need to check which individual events welcome dogs.

Canicross tends to be busiest through the cooler part of the year, and the current calendar is particularly full in autumn. November has the most races at the moment, with more events appearing through winter and into early spring. There are fewer summer options, which makes sense for a sport where the dog is exercising hard alongside you. The calendar will change as new events are announced, but autumn and winter are generally the periods worth watching if you want the biggest choice.

You can find both trail and road canicross races, and the amount of climbing varies a lot between events. Trail currently makes up a large share of the UK options, but some races use road courses and others don’t publish enough surface information to classify them confidently. Where organisers do give elevation figures, the differences are substantial. The Derbyshire Dales Trail Run publishes 326m of elevation gain, for example, while other canicross-friendly routes are much less hilly.

Prices vary between races. Current options range from the low £20s to considerably more for longer or specialist events. A race like the Delamere Forest Half Marathon and 10K is at the lower end of that range, but if you wanted to do an ultra, you’d probably end up paying a lot more. There isn’t usually a separate dog surcharge, but that isn’t a universal rule; check the entry information to find out.

You could try a longer race next, like a 10-miler or half marathon, but there’s no need to tackle a bigger distance if you don’t fancy it. Either way, it’s usually best not to immediately jump to the furthest distance available; half marathon events such as Delamere Forest give you an intermediate option before you even think about the ultra-distance races that also appear on the UK calendar. You may also prefer another 10k on different terrain before increasing the mileage.