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Race date Sunday 29 September 2024
Online registration closes in 180 days! 180 days left to enter!
The Forest of Dean Autumn Half Marathon

This Autumn Half Marathon is run in the Forest of Dean at the end of September. Using the same organization (but a different course) as the popular Spring event, this race follows a forest trails course with no road crossings. This course has some interesting hill challenges and offers a chance to experience the Forest with its late-summer leaf canopy.

This annual event is organised by The Rotary Club of the Royal Forest of Dean and supported by the Forestry Commission. Proceeds are used to support charities, both locally and nationally.

We are very grateful for the involvement and support of a host of individual volunteers, together with a number of local organisations who make this event successful; including the Forestry Commission, the Speech House Hotel and the Forest of Dean Motor Club.

Date/Time
Date:
Sunday, 29th September 2024
Time:
10:00am start
Registration

Entrants must be 17 years or older on the day of the race. Registration costs are as follows:

UKA - affiliated club members:
£30.00
Non-affiliated runners:
£32.00

The costs shown above include a non refundable processing fee of £5.00

Manual entries will incur an additional £3.00 processing fee.

Entries must be received by midnight on Sunday 15th September 2024 at the latest. Everyone who registers by this date will be issued with a personalised racing bib containing their timing chip that they may keep as a souvenir of the occasion.

Any remaining entries left following the official registration closure date will continue to be available via the online registration page only at a cost of £44.00. However, please note that any such late entries are provided strictly on a first come, first served basis and will only be available until 10:00PM on Friday 27th September unless they have sold out before then. Runners with late entries will be issued with a generic rather than a personalised racing bib.

There will be strictly no entries permitted on the day of the race.

Race packs

Following successful registration, every runner will receive an email confirming their registered details, their assigned race number and a link to the event race pack. Please assist us by printing a copy of your details and assigned race number and bring it with you to save time on race day, as it may be impossible for you to retrieve your race number via email at the event itself due to poor mobile coverage. The race pack contains important information about this event, including maps of the course and the start and finish area. Please read it carefully together with the information in the confirmation email.

If you fail to receive your email following registration, please contact us at web@forestofdean-halfmarathon.co.uk. We will, of course, send paper copies to the few runners without email addresses. If you receive race-registration emails for more than one individual, please make sure they receive their copy so they know their race number.

Course

The race course for the autumn half-marathon will run entirely on forest trails with no road crossings at all! The course will use a number of different trails compared with the spring course. The officially-measured half-marathon course (13 miles 192.5 yards) is run on way-marked trails laid out by the Forestry Commission. Special permission has been given to stage the race over this course.

The course starts and finishes at Speech House. The multi-terrain route will be fully signed and marshalled, and marked by yellow paint on the ground. Mile-markers are provided. The route generally uses well-maintained tracks; it will use a number of new trails and will be slightly hillier than the spring course.

The race will be led by lead cyclists.

Drink stations

Water stations will be provided at approximately 5km intervals around the race course. Drinks will also be available at the finish.

Footwear

Road running shoes or trainers are perfectly acceptable. Spikes should not be worn as part of the course includes short gravel sections.

Race timing

Under UKA rules, race results will be determined by gun timing, while your personal performance will also be confirmed by chip timing.

Race bibs with integrated timing chips will be issued on the day of the race from a tent close to the start area. Please make sure you arrive in good time to park and pick up your race bib and chip at least 30 minutes before the event starts at 10:00 am. You will need to quote the race number that was assigned to you when you registered and that was specified in your confirmation email - chip, race number, and registered person must all match! The collection tent will be open on the morning of the race from 8:00 am and will close at 9:45 am in preparation for the race itself.

Remember to bring some small safety pins to fix your race bib to your vest. If you're stuck, some pins will be available from the collection tent.

We will not be collecting the race bib and integrated chip after the race, so feel free to keep it as a souvenir (or dispose of it thoughtfully)!

Race results

The timing services for the forthcoming race will be provided by Rogue Racer, a company with a wealth of experience in supporting similar events.

Individual results will be available on the day from the timing team themselves with the final overall results being uploaded to the event web site as soon as the team and category results have been collated.

Race photographs

Photographic coverage of the event is provided by Charles Whitton Photography who make all of the photographs that are taken during the race available from their website. To view any available uploaded photographs and to search for specific runners amongst them, please click on the following link:

Charles Whitton Photography
Categories

Race age categories for this event are as follows:

  • MSNR: male, 17 to 34
  • MV35: male, 35 to 39
  • MV40: male, 40 to 44
  • MV45: male, 45 to 49
  • MV50: male, 50 to 54
  • MV55: male, 55 to 59
  • MV60: male, 60 to 64
  • MV65: male, 65 to 69
  • MV70: male, 70+

  • FSNR: female, 17 to 34
  • FV35: female, 35 to 39
  • FV40: female, 40 to 44
  • FV45: female, 45 to 49
  • FV50: female, 50 to 54
  • FV55: female, 55 to 59
  • FV60: female, 60 to 64
  • FV65: female, 65 to 69
  • FV70: female, 70+
Medals

A medal (with ribbon) will be presented to every finisher.

medal
Trophies

As well as medals, a number of trophies will be awarded as follows:

  • First male senior
  • First female senior
  • First male vet 35+
  • First female vet 35+
  • First male vet 40+
  • First female vet 40+
  • First male vet 45+
  • First female vet 45+
  • First male vet 50+
  • First female vet 50+
  • First male vet 55+
  • First female vet 55+
  • First male vet 60+
  • First female vet 60+
  • First male vet 65+
  • First female vet 65+
  • First male vet 70+
  • First female vet 70+
  • First male
  • First female
  • First Forest of Dean male
  • First Forest of Dean female
Emergency & medical

The course will be covered by a network of radio communications to link the race organisers and emergency response crews.

Medical attention will be available from Acute Medics Ltd who will be stationed near the finish line and at various key points around the race route. Mobile units and Repatriation vehicles will be in attendance. If the need arises, injured runners will be recovered from the course by their ambulance teams.

Information & Safety

An information point will be sited close to the race start and finish.

The course will be fully marshalled to ensure a clear, safe route.

Broadcast license

This event has been supported by the PPL PRS charity and community discount scheme. PPL PRS licenses the use of copyright music across the UK, giving businesses and organisations the permission they need to play the music they want.

PPL-PRS PPL-PRS