Next month we’ll be doing our first-ever 24-hour race for solos and team runners. We’ve had lots of questions about this event, so we’ve tried to pull together everything into this handy blog. We’re new to this as well, so there may be areas that have to change due to logistics/manpower etc, but we’ll keep you updated!
ENTER THE CIDER & PIGGY PLOD RACES HERE
Logistics
The 24-hour race starts at 6pm on Friday 19th July and you must be out on your last lap by 5:59pm on Saturday 20th July.
The course follows a new route around the farm to be conscious of those living on the site, which is approximately 3.5 miles, which will be well signed and lit in places. The map of the loop will be available here once it’s been walked, checked and uploaded.
You will be issued with a kit list nearer the time, but you will have to carry at the very minimum a suitable water vessel (bottle, cup, hydration pack) despite the short laps, and a working headtorch, preferably with a back-up light source or spare batteries. You should also carry a fully charged mobile phone, with the RD phone number in it (which will be in the race instructions). Ideally a GPX version of the route on your watch if you can, though the route will be straightforward and well signed.
There will be both solo runners and teams running the 24-hour course. On the Saturday morning, you will also be joined by the Cider Frolic (12-hour) runners at 8am. This should hopefully give you a boost, with fresh faces to chat to. Bear in mind that their event finishes later, so while the 24-hour runners need to be out on their last lap by 5:59pm, the 12-hour runners have until 7:59pm to start their last lap.
The event will work the same as a normal Frolic, so please familiarise yourself with how these work here. Solo runners can run as many laps as they like, taking breaks whenever you need. If you’re in a team, only one runner out on the lap at a time, and you can decide when you want to do a handover. It doesn’t matter how many laps you do before handing over.
There will be a group lap for fun at midnight if there is enough interest in this – solo runners and a runner from each team are welcome to meet at the start line at 12am to do a lap together, giving you all a bit of company in the dark.
Toilets will be available all night at the start/finish area, and in the main camping area. Period products are available if you need them, and are kept on aid stations and at the admin area. There is also a small table by the toilets with hand gel and cleaning spray for those who wish to sanitise the toilets before using (they are also regularly cleaned by our team), and we will have a box or period products there as well to help yourselves if needed.
If you have any specific requirements that need to be discussed with us, please get in touch so we can help.
Food and drink
The Love Station™ is at roughly 2.8 miles into the loop and will be manned throughout the night. You’ll be able to get cold drinks and nibbles, as well as get help from the team if you need it. The team can also keep an eye on you to make sure you’re doing okay. There will also be water available at the start/finish area to top up your own cups, bottles and hydration vests.
Catering vans will be on site for the Friday evening, and will open again on Saturday morning for hot food and drinks. We’ll confirm times and what food will be available when we can.
We will have hot water via an urn available throughout the night, so that you can bring things like packet soups, noodles, tea and coffee etc if you want something hot overnight. You are expected to bring your own food and drink to ensure that you have enough fuel to go for 24 hours, and you must carry a vessel of any kind for water.
Camping
If you’re planning on having a kip in the 24 hours (highly recommended), you will need to book a camping pitch for the weekend. You can arrive on site from 1pm on Friday 19th July and you need to vacate by 4pm on Sunday 21st July. It costs £30 for a pitch for the whole weekend, with one unit (tent, van, etc) per pitch only.
If you don’t book camping in advance, we charge an extra £5 admin fee for on-the-day pitches, which are subject to availability. You are not able to sleep in a tent on the racing line (see TEAM GAZEBOS below), so you must book a camping pitch to rest.
Camping can be booked here.
Team gazebos
As with all our Frolics, you can set up a team gazebo on the ‘racing line’, which is in the field where the start/finish is. You can set up on either side of the start/finish area, but you will need to stay away from the timing, admin and shop tents. There is quite a long, straight stretch leading to the start/finish area, so no need to crowd up. These gazebos are for your team to stash food, drink and changes of clothes, have a sit down between laps and cheer on your teammates. They are not for sleeping in. For health and safety, we cannot have tents with overnight sleepers in on the racing line. If there is an incident, we may have to give access to emergency vehicles and move you at very short notice. Please book a camping pitch to have a tent/van to sleep in.
Solo runners
If you’re a Solo runner, there will be a dedicated gazebo area set up that you can use to stash your food, drink and changes of clothes, or have a quick sit down. There isn’t loads of room, so we recommend having a camping pitch where you can set up a tent and store more stuff for between laps and having a sleep.
Safety
The event venue is on a private farm, so there is no public access to the route. The route follows farm tracks and paths. There will be a constant presence at that start/finish area from members of our team, and there will also be a 24-hour Love Station™ manned by volunteers. You will also be issued with the RD’s phone number, which you can ring at any time. Due to the nature of the event, the RD role will change hands overnight, but there will always be a point of contact. If you have any concerns at all, speak to any member of our team or aid station volunteer.
The Love Station™ is just over the halfway mark, so you should never run more than 2 miles without there being an aid station (with the start/finish area as the other aid station).
Medical support will be available throughout the night.
We are looking at organising a buddy system with some of our trusted community to keep runners company overnight if you are running on your own and would prefer to have someone with you. More details will follow in due course.