Battle of the Brampton Valley Way

Run the delights of the Brampton Valley Way in our unique Leicestershire vs. Northamptonshire battle!

Tunnel Vision fans already know the delights of running on the traffic-free Brampton Valley Way. How many of you, have ever run the whole length (14 miles or 22.5km) and back? It’s a super flat route with a constantly changing feel as the route cuts through the heart of rural Northamptonshire. At 28 miles or 45km, the distance is a little over a marathon thus officially making it an ultra run. The terrain and distance however, make it a good stepping stone for people considering looking at longer distances in the future.

Race information

Although the distance will be a challenge for most runners, that isn’t the battle to which we refer. You have the choice from which end you wish to start.

There will be 100 places available from each end. This decision will nail your colours to the mast as representing either Market Harborough/Leicestershire or Northampton/shire. Then battle will commence!

There will be a timing mat at both ends so you’ll also get a halfway split time. The main contest however is the battle between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Using a carefully constructed mathematical model, we will compare times of runners throughout the fields of both sides to find out who performed the best.

Start time/location

The start time is 09:00.

Links to the start/finish locations are below:

Northampton start/finish
Market Harborough start/finish

Depending on your chosen start end, the parking below is available. The start will be signed from each car park.

Boughton Car Park, Brampton Lane, Northampton, NN6 8AA
Market Harborough Leisure Centre, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HL

On-course support

As with all Race Harborough events, there will be professional first aid on hand at the start and finish with the ability to access runners on the course. Race Harborough volunteers will be at each road crossing. Most of these are minor roads. The crossing at the A508 is much busier. There will be feed stations every 4.5 miles (two mid-course and and one at each end, 4 in total).

There will be toilets available at both ends of the Brampton Valley Way, at Market Harborough and also at Northampton. One set will be at your chosen start/finish location, and the other at the turnaround point (14 miles).

Kit

The surface is suitable for road or trail shoes as it is hard packed track with only the occasional puddle (and a baby ford!). Our races are cupless, so you will be required to bring your own cup or hydration vest.

You will need a head torch or small handheld torch as you will pass through two very dark tunnels. One is 294m long and the other 422m. The surface in the tunnels is a bit sketchy with quite a few ruts and puddles.

Prizes

There will be the usual prizes for top 3 male and female finishers, and all finishers will receive a specially commissioned event medal.

Free race photos!

As with all Race Harborough events – you don’t pay for your race pics! Free digital downloads of your race are available to download soon after the race finishes and we’ll announce their availability on our Facebook page.

Charity

For 2026, the main focus of our charity support will be the Jubilee Foodbank, Market Harborough, and the Weston Favell Centre Foodbank, Northampton. Everyone who enters a Race Harborough event will be given the opportunity to make a donation to support these good causes and, we hope, our event community will rise to the challenge and help make a difference to those that need it most.