It’s not too late to sign up to a nighttime Run the Seasons Race starting from Cowdray Ruins
The winter Run the Seasons race at Cowdray takes place on Saturday 6th December from 5pm to 7pm with runners heading off from Cowdray Ruins and then around the nearby park area and river ground on a special night time run.
Following the run there will be warming drinks, soup and delicious snacks at the Cowdray Heritage Visitor Centre, Musicians ‘Two for Tea’ will be entertaining the crowd with some Christmas favourites to get everyone in the festive spirit and Langhams Brewery will be providing a bar on the night and.
Runners will have the choice of taking on either a 10km, 5km or a dog-friendly canicross course across Lawns polo fields to the illuminated ruins. This year there will also be a children’s races (6 to 11 years for 3 kilometres) and a junior’s race (12 to 15 years old for 5 kilometres).
Most of the course is on bridleways and footpaths around the River Rother, but there are some sections on private tracks within the Estate which are accessible only on race day.
Footing for this run is good, depending on the weather, but head torches are mandatory to illuminate the trails and especially the river trail which can get quite high depending on weather conditions. Clear skies should offer runners a unique experience as the Estate lies within the South Downs National Park which is an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Runners should be able to see familiar and unfamiliar constellations, the moon and visible planets, satellites and shooting stars – but also need to pay attention to where they are running.
Participants can sign up in advance or on the day. To find more out more, please visit: www.cowdray.co.uk/events/run-the-seasons-winter-race-2025/