The Hampshire Hoppit - Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10k

Every finisher receives a unique engraved beer glass and a thirst-quenching fill of ‘Hoppit’, a Classic Ale (3.9%AV) from the Loddon Brewery, available from the post-race bar at the Race HQ. The half marathon will receive a half pint engraved glass, and the full marathon will receive a full pint engraved glass. The 10k will receive a third pint glass. We have not left out the teetotallers – there will be a soft drink alternative!

Every finisher will also receive a special engraved medal to commemorate their fine achievement.

There will be prizes for the top 3 overall finishers in each race, and age category awards.

• You are almost guaranteed to experience a fantastic day based upon runner feedback - we have achieved a Gold Award for the past 5 consecutive years
• A keepsake engraved glass and real ale at finish (from the beer tent), with soft drink option
• Unique high quality finishers medal
• Fantastic Goody Bag
• Free parking close to start/finish
• Supporter-friendly atmosphere at start/finish including food, music, beer tent, massage, and kit vendors
• The best race views in Hampshire
• Free pair of Bridgedale Trail Socks (retailing at around £18) redeemable offer via discount code, and 20% off ND:R quality sports sunglasses

The Hampshire Hoppit marathon, half marathon, and 10k, are trail races, i.e. predominantly off-road. They use routes that are clearly marked and marshalled, and include local sections of famous long distance footpaths, the Wayfarers Walk and (for the marathon and half marathon) the Harrow Way. All races are scenic single-lap courses that will start and end at Watership Down near Kingsclere on the Hampshire/Berkshire border, reaching some of the highest points in Hampshire with views across three counties. There are occasional quiet road sections or road crossings that will be marshalled.

Hampshire Trail Marathon (elevation gain of 650m)

Hampshire Trail Half Marathon (elevation gain of 330m)

Start Times: Marathon 09:00am / Half Marathon 10:30am / 10k 11:00am

Post-race refreshments, including the complimentary glass of Loddon Hoppit beer for all finishers, will be served from the Start/Finish area.

🔥 Hot Weather & Climate Considerations
Our Contingency Planning for the Hampshire Hoppit

📰 What’s This All About?
As part of our 10-year anniversary reflections, our Race Director recently contributed an article to Trail Running Magazine, exploring the increasing impact of hot weather on trail events like The Hampshire Hoppit.

With climate change becoming an ever more present factor, we feel it’s responsible to share our thinking on how we might adapt—particularly in the event of extreme temperatures on race day.

⚠️ In Case of Extreme Heat
While race cancellations due to heat are still very unlikely, we believe it’s important to plan for all eventualities. Rather than cancel outright, our preferred approach (if advised by medical and safety guidance) would be to offer reduced-distance races as an emergency heat mitigation measure.

In this scenario, all races would be shortened to 10K, but runners would remain grouped by their original entry:

Marathon entrants ➡️ 10K (Marathon group)
Half Marathon entrants ➡️ 10K (Half Marathon Group).
10K entrants ➡️ no change.
Same finish line buzz. Same goody bag. Same medals. Same beer tent and vendor stalls. Just shorter, safer routes for all.

🛡️ Why This Matters
We know many of you travel far and wide to be part of the Hoppit—booking accommodation, arranging transport, and training hard. So in the unlikely event of extreme temperatures that could compromise runner safety over longer distances, we would still aim to offer a competitive race experience.

🛡️What This Means for You
This plan has been added to our official Risk Assessment under ‘Climate Change Impacts’, ensuring our UKA race licence can be issued with this contingency in place. It gives us, and you, confidence that we’re ready to adapt while still delivering a great race day experience.

Please note:
If expert advice on race weekend suggests that even the reduced distances are unsafe, we reserve the right to cancel the event altogether. We hope this never happens, but as outlined in our terms and conditions, no refunds are available should this occur, by that point, our costs are already committed.


🏁 Looking Ahead
We want to be transparent and prepared. While we may never need this plan, it’s all part of ensuring The Hampshire Hoppit continues to thrive, whatever the weather throws at us.

We’ll keep our eyes on the forecast. You just focus on enjoying the trail.