Cotswold 24 hour race

The event is held from 1200 Saturday in mid July until 1200 Sunday.   The site is open from Friday early eve until Sunday eve.

The circuit is 9km - one third tracks, two thirds rural.   Roads are traffic free.  The route is not highly marshalled but is well marked.

Participants need a tent or motorhome.  There is plenty of space – I set up a gazebo and tent – the charge is for entry not related to how much space taken up.  There are plenty of showers / loos / food outlets / massage tent / drink outlets / bars.

The entry form  said free car parking for participants but I was charged £8 for the weekend.  By Saturday they had stopped charging.  The park is Bathurst estate with lots of entry points – this event enters through the polo club entry. The entry points are several miles apart. You could enter through other points if spectating, park locally and avoid charges if you don’t mind walking.

The event can be entered as a solo – or as a team… do as many laps as you can in the 24hrs… numerous  team types are available. 

I entered as part of a team of seven. This worked quite well.  It means you’ll be running 4 laps / maybe 5 if you take place 1 or 2. We did 4 laps each in the end.

Once everyone has done a lap you can run in any permutation.  We had to change due to injuries.

Running / resting repeat is different to just running as each time you go out you’ll be stiffer.  Be prepared to go out quicker than you thought – ie pack / layout your kit before resting.  

I was tempted by the bar after lap 3 and 4 – probably best to resist until done!

Once 1200 strikes anyone out on the trail can continue as long as they are in by 1300.  No one starts after 1200 Sunday.  The team that does the most laps in the 24 hrs per category wins.

At night a system is needed to ensure that the finisher wakes the person to follow after the person they set off.  The relay baton is a wrist strap.  This means that folk are sometimes up earlier than necessary.

An alternative is to have a team manager – I wondered what the right thing to have done would have been if I came in and couldn’t find my hand over man. 

Tee shirts are bought as an extra – last years are available as well at a very reasonable price.  Nice medal.

There is an option of doing Swindon or Stonehouse parkrun as a warm up Saturday am.

I would do it again.

Simon Judd