The Route

Race HQ is located at: Nettlebed Community School, High Street, Nettlebed, RG9 5DA

A challenging 10km multi-terrain run set in the beautiful Chiltern Hills surrounding the village of Nettlebed, just 5 miles from Henley-On-Thames. This race will challenge the novice runner with some ‘stinger’ hills but will reward you with stunning views as you run through woods and farmland. Experienced runners will enjoy the ups and downs!

On arrival please head to the Nettlebed School for registration and race pack collection.  The race will start a short walk form the schools walled garden, heading out along a paved track before joining a wooded bridleway. From there we will race through woods, across open fields skirting around Highmoor Village and Witheridge Hill before joining a stretch of quiet road (this will not be closed). A long steady climb will take us up to English Farm, where you may even spot some of their famous Longhorn cattle. A footpath will take us back towards Nettlebed, including one last kicker hill (which happens to be a Strava section for the more competitive runner!) before returning to the walled garden for a sprint finish! 

Approximately 60% of this route is off road along a mixture of footpaths and bridleways.

Please note: UK Athletic rules state you MUST be over 15+ years to enter this race.

A more detailed route is available here: http://www.strava.com/routes/2760985651372112064.

Marshalls

Marshalls will be available at various locations around the course (they’ll be the ones wearing the yellow vests!).  Directional signs and ticker tape will also be visible.  As some of this course is on open road’s use of headphones is strictly prohibited.

A race briefing will be provided via e-mail prior to the event.  Should we be able to do a mass start we will also hold a short briefing before the start time.

Should you experience an emergency on the day, please use the mobile number provided on the pre-race event e-mail.

Aid stations

Due to social distancing measures the aid stations on route are no longer allowed.  Therefore, please come fully hydrated, or carry your own water supplies.  Water will however be provided at the end of the run, or a nice cup of tea if you prefer.

Medics

We will have trained medics on the course and at the start/finish first aid point.  Should you need assistance at any time of the race, please seek attention from a marshall or organizer.  The emergency mobile contact number on the day is To be advised

If you are feeling unwell or suffering any injury we advise you do not start the race.

Race HQ
Race HQ will be held within the grounds of Nettlebed Community school. Runners will walk to the start from the Walled Garden, where the race will also end.

Please register and collect your race number once you arrive.

Bag Drop:
Due to Covid restrictions, we regret we will not be offering a bag drop this year. Please ensure you do not bring more than you can carry to the start.

Refreshments:
There will be no water stations on the route, however we are pleased to provide full refreshment at the finish.

FONS will also be providing a plethora of yummy home baked goods and hot drinks for immediate calorie replenishment at the end! Should you require something a little more substantial, we will have a BBQ going too (weather and COVID-19 permitting).  Please don’t forget to bring the cash!

Personal Hygiene: Please only use the bathroom facilities provided. We ask that all runners and supporters respect our school premises and neighbours with regards to this! Sufficient portaloos will be made available.

Hand sanitizing stations will also be available at the facilities, registration and at the end of the race.

Please note: As the race HQ and finish line is within school grounds, sadly we cannot allow dogs (other than service dogs) on to school premises, so please leave your fur babies at home this time.

Parking:

The Race HQ is located at: Nettlebed Community School, High Street, Nettlebed, RG9 5DA and Parking will be available at different locations in the village.

The main parking will be at the Nettlebed Community School, ‘The White Hart’,  and Nettlebed Surgery. Unfortunately there will be NO race parking at the village social  club (opposite the school Car Park) due to an event being held.  Please respect their car park and find an alternative.   Please follow directions from parking marshals so we can maximise the space we have. Please respect residents of Nettlebed and DO NOT block local resident’s driveways as this is not fair and could put the race in jeopardy for future years. There is no parking available at Old School Green for Health and Safety reasons.

Please respect residents of Nettlebed and DO NOT block local resident’s driveways as this will is not fair and could put the race in jeopardy for future years. There is no parking available on Old School Green.

Prizes

All competitors will receive a race ‘Zero Waste’ Medal on completion of the race.  Our choice of medals promote our commitment to being a sustainable race….they’re made from wood and reclaimed materials by a ‘Zero Waste’ organisation.

Small locally-sourced prizes will be awarded to:

Open Male – 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd

Open Female – 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd

Junior Male (under 18) – 1^st

Junior female (Under 18) – 1^st

Senior Male (Over 50) – 1^st

Senior Female (Over 50) – 1^st

Prizes will be awarded shortly after the race has finished.  We will allow 1hr and 45 mins for all competitors to complete the course.

Race rules and etiquette

NOTE: Full race rules will be uploaded closer to the time, this will include relevant COVID-19 safe procedures we will be implementing.  It is your responsibility to ensure you have read all the rules prior to starting the race.

• Be respectful to runners, marshalls and organisers
• Keep a safe distance
• Wear masks where instructed
• No littering
• No dogs
• We cannot permit use of buggy’s or wheelchairs due to unsuitable terrain and risk of injury.
• Support fellow runners

Age limits: As per UK Athletic rules, you must be aged 15 or over to participate in this race.

Nettlebed is located on the A4130, approximately 5 miles from Henley-On-Thames. It is within 30 minutes of both Reading and Oxford as well as easily accessible from Marlow, Wallingford, Watlington and Didcot.

From Reading: Leave Reading via Caversham joining the B481. Follow this road through Sonning Common, Rotherfield Peppard and Highmoor Cross. Continue on from Highmoor cross to a roundabout on to the A4130. Take a left signposted to Oxford and you will enter Nettlebed village within a 100m.

From Oxford: Leave Oxford heading South towards Henley on Thames. Join the A4074 which you will follow for approx. 20 minutes until you pass through Preston Crowmarsh/Benson. At the next roundabout take the second exit on to the A4130. Follow this road for a futher 10 minutes until you enter the village of Nettlebed. The school is set back on the right, shortly after the church.

On a Sunday morning, the most appropriate way to travel is by car as public transport is limited. Please only travel with those in your household bubble.  If it’s possible to arrive by foot, please do so to limit congestion.

Terms and Conditions

In the event of extreme weather or changes in Covid-19 restrictions, we reserve the right to cancel the race at short notice. Should this occur notification will be sent via email to your race entry email address and further detail will be given on this website.

Full terms and conditions are available on the ‘RunBritain’ registration website, In case of cancelation or delay You will be notified with your options.

Dogs

As the event starts and finishes on school grounds we regret fur babies are not permitted to accompany runners on the course or into the race HQ within school grounds. Running with dogs is also not permitted under UK Athletics rules.