Stort30

Stunningly pretty 30 mile ultra on the border of Hertfordshire and Essex along the River Stort and Lee navigation’s.

15 flat and fast miles out and back with a generous 7 hour cut-off, a great first foray into ultra running or a fast competitive race for those with a time target.

Age group medals and prizes and trophies for the 1st three Male and Female Open races.

Date

Please note the 2024 event was cancelled and all participants refunded or transferred

9am Start – October 26th 2025

Enter 2025 Now – See Participant List

Timings

Race numbers are collected on the day and you will receive a confirmation email the week before the event reminding you of some important info posted on this page.

Registration
0715 – 0830 collect numbers and route description at registration.

Briefing

Briefing at 8:45 outside/inside the building please ensure you listen to it.

Start Time
9am sharp.

Cut-off time at 15 miles (turnaround point) 12:30pm

Final Cut-off at 4pm – This will be enforced firmly.

Location

Start/Finish Location
Bishop’s Stortford Running Club (Hockerill Sports and Social Club), Beldams Lane, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5LG

Route

Course information

Please note the diversion at Fieldes Weir – Its been updated on the route description and the GPX file/Map below

The route is mostly grassy trail or graded footpath with only the first half a mile on footpaths/tarmac and the last half mile on the way back.

The route is flat and mostly good underfoot with a mixture of graded gravel paths and riverside trail. If it’s wet, about 12 miles in total can be muddy/wet riverside trail that can be slippery.

You will run out for 15 miles and turn around and come back along the same scenic route.

All runners can download a written route description below as a back up but the route is very easy to follow along the River Stort. There will signage before and after every turn to ensure the route is as clear as possible, but please use the route description or .gpx file in case signs are moved or vandalised.

2023Stort30RouteDescription Download

To Download the route click on the “Learn More” Button and the download link will be in the top right corner.

A 6 min sped up video of me riding the route 1 week before the event, apologies for the slightly off GoPro angle!

It should give you a good impression of the terrain and the current diversion at the Weir.

Checkpoints

The location of the start / finish / registration:
Bishop’s Stortford Running Club (Hockerill Sports and Social Club), Beldams Lane, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5LG

Checkpoints are every 5 miles (approx.) with water, squash, basic sweets, snacks and maybe some cake or anything else I can find on offer!

Usually chicken bites and cocktail sausages and veggie bites also.

There will be veggie/vegan and Gluten free options but we can’t guarantee not having cross contamination for allergies etc. Please ask staff of the CP’s if you are worried and they can open fresh packets or check labels for you to ensure foods are suitable. Or bring your own supplies.

CP1/5 Location – 5.4 miles
Sheering Mill Lane, Sawbridgeworth, CM21 9PE

Please do not visit this CP as there is very limited parking in the area. ONLY visit if you are collecting an injured runner etc.

CP2/4 Location – 9.6 miles.
Burnt Mill Lane, Harlow, CM20 2QS
If you visit this CP then please park in the nearby pub location not on the road and do not obstruct the footpath or CP.

CP3 Turnaround Location – 15 miles.
Rye House, Rye Road, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 0EH
Please park in the Rye House pub car park and not on the road and please do not obstruct the busy CP.

Cut Off Times

The cut-off time is 3.5 hours at half way (15 miles) and 7 hours overall.

If you are over the cut off at turnaround you will be stopped and transported back to the Start/Finish.

Facilities

Parking
There is no parking at the clubhouse, you may drop off and pick up only. Please park at the local train station in Bishop’s Stortford (pay and display or pay by phone) and walk up to the start (15 min walk).

Parking info for the station car park here – https://www.ncp.co.uk/find-a-car-park/car-parks/bishops-stortford-stn-g-anglia/

Please do NOT park on local streets or grass verges as we have had complaints from local residents in previous years. We may ask for your vehicle details at registration and if you have parked inconsiderately in local streets or on verges you WILL be disqualified from the race without further discussion.

Changing/Facilities

There are toilets, changing facilities and showers at the clubhouse. There is also baggage storage. There are no toilets on the route but Checkpoint 2 and 3 are next to pubs though we are not responsible for them being open or make any arrangements with them. There are lots of bushes on the route!

Timing/Tracking

All our races are electronically timed and we will have live results that are updated every time a finisher crosses the line.

There results can be seen via our results page. There is no live tracking.

Kit List

Mandatory Kit

There is none as its a well supported signed course with good access for safety and the weather is still mild. Obviously bring clothing and footwear suitable for the weather, if it’s raining bring a waterproof jacket. If its sunny bring a hat. Some common sense is compulsory. Running naked is not allowed!

Post-race
Race medal for all finishers with the option to add which piece of race clothing you get at the finish when you enter. T-Shirt or Neck Tube. Late entries only get a Neck Tube as a purchase option.

There will be free tea and coffee and soft drinks after the race in the clubhouse and changing and showers.

Entry

Entries close – October 13th 2024 Midnight

Entries on the day available at £50 in cash or with card only.

Entries on the day will not get a T-Shirt, Neck Tube or Hoody but there may still be an option to buy if we have spares left on the day. .

Entries on the day are not eligible for age group medals or prizes or overall prizes and trophies as it’s unfair to enter at the last minute where others do not know who the competition is.

Enter the 2025 Race – See entry list

Read our refund policy

The Normal entry fee is £55

Early Entry Discounts –

Before Dec 1st £40,

Before March 1st £45,

Before July 1st £50, then the full £55.

Please note the price includes Finishers Medal Only, from the 2024 race T-Shirts and Buffs are an optional purchase. This helps us keep the cost down to the 2022/23 prices and helps the environment by reducing plastic waste.

Before registering, please read all of the race information on this page.

There are no refunds unless you pay the optional fee (10%) to insure the entry at the time of entry as per our policy.

You Must be 18 or over on race day to enter this event.

FAQ’s

Regular questions will be posted here.

What shoes should I wear? – We get asked this all the time, we can’t tell you what shoes to wear! You know what shoes work for you in various conditions. It’s a trail race and there is a course description written above. You decide what shoes is best for you given your preferences and the predicted weather. Its a trail, if it’s been raining it gets muddy. People have run in everything from sandals to full fell shoes and everything in between. It’s up to you.
Can I run with my dog? – No we are not able to allow you to run with your dog the route is not suitable for that and some runners like dogs and some do not and it adds rick with clashes with dogs on the route and walkers etc.

Rules

This event is CUPLESS so you need to carry a cup or other vessel to drink out of at the checkpoints. We dont believe in making you buy more plastic cups to save plastic so using your water bottle or softflask is ok by us. We will have Jugs of water/coke/squash on the tables for you to fill up with. You will NOT be allowed to drink from a jug!

We will sell some foldable cups at registration £5 each if you forget.

Headphones and MP3 players

If you wear headphones and cannot hear marshals or traffic, this is your responsibility. There are many other users on the footpaths such as cyclists walkers and other runners. Please ensure you can hear them and allow them to pass.

Headphones must NOT be worn on road sections or at road crossings and must be removed at checkpoints and before the finish.

Qualifying Criteria

We would expect that to have a realistic chance of completing this event you should be able to complete a half marathon in less than 3 hours, or a marathon in less than 6 hours.

If you have not done this its unlikely you will be able to finish the race.

Results

Awards
Trophies for the first three runners of each sex.

There will be additional medals presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd male and female in each age category.

Age categories are: Overall/Open, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49,5 0-54, 55-59, 60-65, 65-69, 70-74, 75+

Please note you can only win one category. So if for example you win the race outright you can’t also win the 40-44 category and it will go to the second person in that age group.

Less than 3 in your category then we only award Gold.

Less than 5 and we only award Gold and Silver.

5 or more and we award Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Detailed Full Results Page

This is a work in progress and will be fully updated soon – See the link above for current results.

Volunteering

Below is the volunteering spreadsheet showing what volunteer roles we still need and who has volunteered for each role and what spaces we have left.

Volunteering
This event costs 10 Volunteer Points to enter if you wish to use some points.

Without the small army of volunteers who help out at our races we would not be as successful at putting on great events. We really appreciate our volunteers; to read about the rewards of volunteering at Challenge Running events, and to view which tasks we still need help with, please click the button below and complete our volunteering form.

Volunteering page