Having A Mare 5km & 10km

Race HQ will be set up in the fields adjacent to Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 1EN

Runners will set off individually at 30 second intervals. We still do the timing, you do the running. We are working with a maximum of 100 runners on the route at any one time, this works out at 1 runner every 100m on average.

Runners will register to be part of a Wave with an allocated start window. Eg 09:00 - 10:30. Runners within a Wave will be set off at 30 second intervals by seeding runners fastest to slowest, (predicted times to be supplied when you register). Organising runners fastest to slowest will reduce the need for runners to overtake, though due to the lapped nature of the course there will be overtaking required at points during the race.

Everyone runs as an individual, the only exception is a maximum of two runners starting together if they are from the same household bubble. Please only start as a pair if you intend to run the whole event together and you must run in single file at all times so that social distanced over taking can be achieved. If a household pair wishes to start at the same start time, you must select the same predicted time so that you appear next to each other in the start list. Please select a slightly obscure time to facilitate this, eg 24 mins, 12 seconds rather than 25mins, 0 seconds..

Race numbers will be laid out on desks with a paper weight. You can pull your race number out from under the paper weight without handling the paper weight. Grab a few safety pins and you are set.

When you register you will have to select a predicted finish time which will be used to seed runners in your wave from fastest to slowest. Start lists will be published online on Thursday 9th September confirming your individual start time. You need to look up your race number and your individual start time.

The start area is a place where everyone needs to be mindful of their social distancing. To make this as comfortable as possible for everyone we will lay out a grid of stakes so that people waiting can be well spaced (yellow Xs), and so that when the next starter is called up (to the pink Xs), there is space for people to easily move through the waiting runners.

The route is all grass and very flat, just 30m height change per 5km lap, though to be honest I am not sure where those 30m are, it could just GPS trickery.

The route is nice and compact enabling you to see runners at different parts of the course as you go. There is also plenty of space for easy overtaking. There are just two short sections of 20m where there is no over taking.

The 5km is a single lap course, the 10km route is two laps bringing you back through the start/finish area to get a cheer from the waiting runners as you start your second lap.

To allow the runners spread out we are splitting up the events into waves. This is important for safety, to ensure runners are well spread out on the tricky sections of the course. It is also very important for our results, which are recorded and posted live to our website by magic, but you do need to start in the correct wave for this to work.

Runners aged 6 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Min age 3. There is no charge for the accompanying adult, unless they wish to claim a finishers medal, at which point we ask they register as well. Maximum ratio of 2 children to 1 adult.

Muddy and water sections are deep in places. We suggest adults test the water for depth before children enter the water, there will be dry alternative routes. Children must cross the line with accompanied adult in their category or no result will be recorded.

Distances are approximate and we reserve the right to add on a few metres to find some extra good muddy bits :-)

There is free on site parking at the race and bike racks for cyclists. We ask you only enter the main event area 30mins before your start time and leave 30mins after your finish time. The nearest public transport would be a bus to the Lansdown Park and Ride. From here it is an approximately 2km walk to the start area.

There are toilets on site which will be regularly cleaned throughout the day. There will be a self serve, but supervised bag drop facility - you drop and retrieve your own bag and show that your baggage label and race number match. There will be at least 1 caterer in attendance. There will be no changing rooms.

For covid safety and environmental reasons there will be no on course water stations therefore please come prepared with your own bottle for the run.

After the race we will have sealed bottles of water for all runners, or we can refill your own containers with water and there will be bottled water. They will be in sealed individual packets; chocolate, mini soreen loaves, haribo, tribe bars (vegan) etc. We will not be offering our usual selection of fresh fruit.