Nene Valley 10 & 20 mile Trail Races

The 10 miler takes you on undulating trails through fields and woodland to Nassington then on to Yarwell (look out for the field of llamas!), and through Yarwell Mill where there's a cafe if you fancy a coffee and cake stop! Then it's back along the river to Elton and Warmington before a final gentle climb over the last hill to the campsite.

The 20 miler takes you north west from Fotheringhay on rolling trails through fields and woods to the picturesque villages of Wood Newton, Apethorpe and Kings Cliffe. You dive down a newly created footpath along the old railway line here before looping back round through fields and woodland via Nassington (look out for the field of llamas!), Yarwell (grab a coffee and cake as you pass Yarwell Mill campsite!). Some beautiful riverside running then takes you to Elton, followed by Warmington. Then save some energy for the last (small!) hill back to the campsite.

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A beautiful 10 or 20 mile journey through the rolling fields, ancient woodland and picturesque stone villages from the ruins of Fotheringhay Castle, near Peterborough, with eco-friendly wooden medals designed by award-winning local artist Steven Hall.

There will be bananas and water at checkpoints, one on the 10 miler and two on the 20 miler, plus a coffee and cake van in the start/finish field. We try to be as eco-friendly as possible so PLEASE NOTE You need to bring your own cup/bottle to this race as we will not be providing plastic cups as part of our bid to help the environment. Thank you :)

Parking is free for you, your family and any supporters but please try to car share as much as possible to reduce our race's impact on the environment. Join our Facebook group to hook up with other racers for car shares.

Camping on Fri & Sat eves is at the wonderfully picturesque Castle Farm in Fotheringhay, next to the river Nene and the remains of Fotheringhay Castle where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded. Please see our website for more details on camping and entry/exit times. https://nenevalleyraces.wordpress.com/

£1 from every race entry will go to Transition Kings Cliffe, the small charity working to restore and maintain footpaths, protect and promote wildlife in the local area. The 20 mile race uses one of their maintained paths along the disused railway line and it is one of the highlights of this route.

• Eco wooden medal
• Coffee & cake van
• Camping Fri & Sat eves
• Friendliest marshals!
• Bananas & snacks
• Swim in the river at your own risk
• Cleanest portaloos ever!
• Beautiful undulating countryside
• Ruins of Fotheringhay Castle

WHAT IF I CAN’T RACE?
Entries are non-refundable but you can swap your entry to another person at any time free of charge, before the entry closing date

WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE RACE?
You can change your entry to the 10 or 20 mile race. You will be charged extra for the 20 miler, but you will not be refunded for dropping down to the 10 miler. See the above FAQ if you want to swap your 20 miler to another runner and then you can book the 10 miler.

DO I NEED TRAIL SHOES?
Not unless it’s been raining a lot and the ground is very muddy. If this route is dry, road running trainers are perfectly adequate.

MANDATORY KIT?
You’ll need a small hydration pack or waist belt with you to carry your phone (err…selfies! And emergencies) a jacket (in case of rain or having to stop), a snack and a water bottle or reusable cup to use at aid stations as there will be no plastic cups (we’re being as eco-friendly and plastic-free as we can). You will also need suncream and a sun hat or visor if it’s sunny and hot (fingers crossed!).

WHAT IS AT THE AID STATIONS?
There will be aid stations every 5 or so miles with water (bring your own cup or water bottle as there will be no plastic cups) flapjack, bananas and cola kindly supplied by the Co-op in Oundle, the nearest grocery store to the event. If you have any life-threatening allergies please use your own snacks as we cannot ensure there won’t be peanuts, sesame, gluten, animal products etc at our aid stations.

CAN MY DOG COME?
Dogs aren’t allowed on the race course to run with you, but well-behaved, friendly dogs are welcome come and spectate at the campsite, but please keep them on a lead at all times and pick up their poop and putting it in the bin. We’re sure this kind of person isn’t you, but anyone found putting poop in a bag and hanging it in a bush or tree (like seriously, who does this?) will be escorted swiftly from the premises.

DISABLED ACCESS
We aren’t allowed cars down the track to race HQ after 8am on race day so you could do a spectator with disabilities drop off early on. The track is around 300m long, it’s good but gravel/grass and has ruts in that are sometimes puddles, but a person in a wheelchair could get down it if they have a sense of adventure, or a person with a limited walking range/ability could do it slowly with help or with sticks. I will aim to take a photo of the track and add it here so you can make an informed decision for future events. Please contact us if you have specific needs that we have not covered.

WHAT ARE THE CUT OFF TIMES?
All runners need to reach the finish within 2.5 hours for the 10 mile race and 5.5 hours for the 20 mile race. There will also be a tail runner who will have radio contact with HQ. We have made these cut offs as generous as possible to allow a wide range of ability levels in the race, but please be aware that our marshals are volunteers giving up their own time and need to go home for their tea, so for your own safety and their sanity, these timings will be firmly adhered to.

IF I RETIRE FROM THE RACE?
If you want to retire from the race you MUST make your way to the nearest marshal or aid station and inform one of our official volunteers, not just your mate or that bloke who was running behind you a moment ago 😉

WHAT ABOUT INJURY?
If you or somebody near you becomes injured, please stop and ask others for help / stop and help them. If you can walk, please go to the nearest checkpoint or marshal who will help with medical assistance.

If you or they cannot walk, ring the emergency number provided at registration. If you can’t get a signal, get another runner to run to the nearest marshal with the injured party’s details and start the assistance process from there.

In a life-threatening emergency ring 999, then ring our emergency number provided at registration so we can have our medic team on the scene as quickly as possible to help and advise the emergency services.

COVID SAFETY
All runners must adhere to any instructions from marshals and the event safety or medic team along the course. Safety first everyone! Covid-based instructions have been emailed to all participants. Please read this briefing thoroughly as we cannot do a mass briefing for obvious reasons. Thank you!

Camping Friday and Saturday nights is £9 per adult per night, kids free.

Entry to the campsite is 3pm – 8pm Friday only. Entry is not possible Saturday morning as the races start at 9am and we can’t have cars on the track into the farm. Please arrive Friday eve. Entry is via 250m of single track gravel road, the field is a little uneven and might be muddy after heavy rain.

Exit is permitted from 4pm Saturday or after the last runner has returned. Last possible exit time is 3pm Sunday.

The campsite has portaloos from the race all weekend, there is an outside drinkable water tap but no electric hook up or showers. There is a lovely river adjacent to the camping field which may locals use for swimming and paddleboarding which you can use at your own risk.

Sorry we are not permitted to have open fires or BBQs at the campsite. Camping stoves only.

The flatter area of the campsite will be reserved for campervans and caravans, so please just have a quick check with Anna (who will be roaming around somewhere in the field!) before you get all settled as we would hate to have to relocate you! You can camp pretty much where you like but if all the event gazebos etc are not up yet pls check with us to make sure. Thank you!

You are allowed to swim in the beautiful river beside the campsite but this is entirely at your own risk and we are not responsible for any swimming – it is not covered on our insurance.

Closest grocery store is Oundle Co-op about 10 mins south by car.

There is also Castle Farm Guest House next door and plenty of B&B and hotel options in the nearby villages and city of Peterborough if you don’t like the idea of a night under canvas.