We’re really pleased to be bringing back our Cranborne Races weekend in 2023! These races take place at the home of Sixpenny Brewery, Holwell Farm in Cranborne, Dorset, on 12th and 13th August.
These races are great as we are in the middle of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, meaning that the race routes really show off the best of our wonderful county. They are a bit hilly, but we promise you it’s worth it. You also get to benefit from the brewery being on site, offering you a chance to try some local beverages, as well as grab a bite to eat from the site’s bakery, which serves up some incredible pizza! We’ll also have some of our usual catering options as well, close to the race start/finish area.
We launched these races back in 2021 and had great feedback. They were sadly cancelled in 2022 due to low entry numbers post-Covid (not just us, but across the whole race events industry), but we’re back and ready to have a great weekend of running.
We appreciate that these are late opening, with just a month to go until kick off. This is due to admin behind the scenes as we transition the company (read more about that here).
This year the races coincide with another local event, the We Out Here festival in Wimborne St Giles. The festival celebrates UK club culture, from soul and jazz, to house, afro, electronica and beyond; it is also celebrating 50 years of hip hop. You can find out more about the festival here. It does mean that the roads getting to and from the event might be busier than usual, so bare that in mind when travelling. You could also combine the two events, as they are only a couple of miles apart.
We will be offering camping again, from the Friday afternoon to the Sunday afternoon. We have races for the whole family to get involved in. We kick off on the Saturday with one of our ever-popular Frolics. (No idea what we mean? Read our article here.) This will be a 12-hour jaunt around a beautiful trail route of approximately 5.5km, as a solo runner or part of a team. Also on the Saturday, we will have an early evening kids’ race (5pm), for younger family members to enjoy part of the Frolic route (about 3km).
Then, on the Sunday, we have two standalone races. We have the half-marathon kicking off first at 9am, then the 10km at 9:30am. Both these routes are a little challenging, but they are totally worth it and are both gorgeous routes up and over the rolling Dorset countryside.
The medals for the Frolic, half marathon and 10km races are a unique blend of metal and wood – the outer ring is engraved, ornate metal, with a wooden centre panel. They are also huge! The kids’ medal is full-colour metal, featuring a woodland archer design.
It’s going to be a brilliant way to spend an August weekend, so make sure you grab your spot as soon as you can.
Entries will be available from 7pm on Friday 14th July: https://whitestarrunning.clubtrac.co.uk/e/cranborne-races-2023-7912