Where: Kilburn Woods.
Distance: approx 6.3 mile/ 1200′ ascent.
Parking: Osgoodby bank car park what3words ///backward.pounds.revealing
Dates: Thursday August 27 – Sunday August 30, 2026

In 2026, prizes for winning team members were donated by Martin Dobson, Easingwold Motors and Shelli from Lets run, Great Ayton.

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Donations for Bulbs at the Gateway

In lieu of a race fee, we are asking everyone to help Race Organiser Rob raise funds for bulbs in club colours to be planted at the Gateway. Donations can be made anytime online or in person at a special training night hosted by Rob and Christine in Bagby on Wed Sep 2nd. The club will kindly be providing pizzas for supper afterwards when race results will be announced.  Details on this event and how to donate are here .

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Start & Finish: Gatepost across path in car park.

Before you run;
1. There is a team leader for each team. Leaders to try and make contact with all your team members to offer support and encouragement.
2. Recce of the route is essential. It will be marked, green chalk spray on the way out. Blue on the way back. All on forestry tracks, public footpaths and bridleways.
3. This is also a club championship race. Points as usual. Club vests/ tee shirts to be worn.
4. Elapsed timing only. Remember, stopping to take a selfie part way round will only add to your time!! Wait until you finish.
5. There is a cafe in Balk at the caravan park which is ideal for an after race chat.

Rules.
A. Run as an individual or in small groups. Your team doesn’t have to run all at the same time. Incomplete teams to take the slowest overall time of the race for their missing member. Teams are chosen at random to include all abilities. Substitutions are not permitted. Payments of money to swap runners will not be allowed.
B. Starting gate opens at 7am on Thursday 27th August and closes 5pm Sunday 30th August. You must start after 7am on each day. All runners must be out of the woods at 8pm each day. No running in the dark please. There are no exceptions to this rule. Failure to run in the specified time will result in disqualification.
C. The start and finish is the gate onto the main forest track in the car park. Pin a piece of paper on the board with your name on it when running and take it down when finished so we know who is running (Safety issue)
D. Submit your times on the link as soon as you finish (the submission link closes on 8pm Sunday but you must complete the race by 5pm Sunday as noted above). You will also have to do this for any invited guests.
E. It is compulsory to smile at all times. Even going up the white horse steps.
F. Results and prize giving TBD.

Route Description:
Approx 6.3 miles and 1200′ of uppy and downy bits. The course is set on permanent tracks, trails and footpaths and if you think about where you are going is easy to follow. Green arrows on the floor for the way out. Blue arrows for the way back. Set off straight down the forest drive from Osgoodby car park and after approx 800 metres take the second turn on the right, climb for approx 300 metres and take the first turn right. Follow this narrow and undulating track until you come to a T junction at approx 1.1 mile, turn left and follow the well, worn track right up onto the top of Hood Hill. It is uphill all the way.

Go straight over the top and take the centre line / track straight back down onto to the forest drive once again. There are several bike trails that can lead runners astray from the top so be careful to recce this section to avoid surprises on race day. This section is steep and if wet, can be slippery. Choose your footwear carefully. Once on the main track turn right and continue keeping right at the junction and climb the hill in front of you. Take the next left up a narrow gravelled path, onwards and upwards. Before the Thieves Highway (which is the next main junction), turn right and head for the White Horse Car Park. Once in the car park take the steps to the top of the White Horse and turn left. Follow the track toward Sutton Bank top for approx. half a mile. Take the next left down Thieves Highway (wooden sign at the top of the track). This section is narrow, rocky and can be slippery so look out for hikers coming up. At the next junction, go right then immediately left and continue to descend on the track you climbed earlier. At the bottom turn right onto the main forestry track.

After a short descent, start to climb once more and take the first turning on the left to climb again, looking out for runners coming at speed from the opposite direction. Once the track starts to get steep, take what is the second track on your right marked in blue. The steepness gets easier the further up you go. Once over the top, let yourself go downhill to the main track once again. Turn left and from here it is approx 800 metres to the finish.

Couse Records from Aug 2021 to 2026 with the current course. Male: 43:54 (Tom Levi 2021), Female 53:55 (Olivia Mulligan 2025).

****All runners must complete the course in the time and date window specified above. There will be no exceptions to this rule.****

The course map is here.

Please review the risk assessment and disclaimer here.

Virtual Cross Country in Knayton

Thursday Nov 12th – Sunday Nov 15th – 2026. Please note this date may change to the weekend after if there is a XC clash (19th to 22nd alternative dates).

The 2-lap marked course (shown below) will have a few ups and downs a bit of mud.

Distance: 5.7km (3.5 miles).

This is a working farm. Animals have to be fed and work has to be done. Do not start before 9am and aim to complete by 3.30 pm on all 4 days.

PLEASE LEAVE ALL GATES EXACTLY AS YOU FIND THEM.

This is a run everyone can take part in. If you can’t run then you can walk.

It’s taking part that counts. Please ask your friends and family to take part too. Let’s make it a big one.

Please don’t miss this unique opportunity to run on a real working farm.

Thanks to Alan and Margaret for kindly hosting this event.

When completed send in your times at the link supplied. You must submit your time by Sunday 8pm Nov 15th.

On the final afternoon it would be great if one or two of you could spare a little time to help pick up markers and take down the tent. No previous experience necessary. Perhaps best wear your wellies if you do.

Remember to sign in and sign out! Our risk assessment for 2025 is available here.

Runners can start from 9 am and must be finished by 3:30 pm

Course records for the currently slightly longer version (ran 2023 – 2025):
Joseph Martlew 20:42 (2025), Bronwyn Mayo 26:26 (2024)

Ken Evitt’s recce: https://www.strava.com/activities/10117640617

Farm Address: Water Hall Farm, Upsall Ln, Thirsk YO7 4BB.

Park opposite the farm.

Results from 2025 are here.

Here are the instructions for the Drovers’ Road Virtual Race (2026 Championship Race #4). It’s the same course as we ran last year (2025). You will be able to run on a day of your choice over Easter, from Thursday 2nd – Sunday 5th April 2026. For safety reasons, you must start your run after 7am and all runners must be back by 730 pm.

** ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED, SUBMIT YOUR TIME USING THE LINK PROVIDED**. You must submit your time before Midnight on Sunday 5th April 2026. Please submit elapsed time only.

As with all races, a TaSH vest or t-shirt must be worn to qualify for championship points.

Start/finish at small car park on junction of Cleveland Road / Wethercote Lane. Two miles north of Sutton Bank Visitor Centre (halfway between Sutton Bank and Boltby Bank Top).  What3words ///quit.inserting.ritual  Grid Ref SE 515 859

The route is 7.4 mile (11.9 km) with 558′ (170 m) of ascent.  Start your run on trail next to the carpark. Run on the gravel cycle track through the small plantation and first wooden gate, slightly uphill and towards the Cleveland way. Pass through small wooden gate in the stone wall and onto the Cleveland Way. TURN RIGHT and follow trail towards and past High Barn and on towards Sneck Yate.

Through the farm gate, carefully across the road and into the wood. Continue on trail, through the gate at the end of the wood and onto the road keeping right and upwards to High Paradise Cafe and beyond.  This is the only uphill section so concentrate and give it a bit of welly. Recover on the top. Once you reach the Drovers’ road / Cleveland Way at the T junction, TURN LEFT. Follow the cycle track towards and into the wood and continue until you reach the metal gate. Just before you exit the wood onto the moor, TURN AROUND at the gate (Steeple Cross stone lies just beyond this gate but don’t go through). Look out for other runners and encourage them on. Remember they are behind you and are probably suffering too!!

Run back through the wood keeping on the cycle track. Run past the High Paradise road end onto the stone road to Boltby Bank Top car park. Careful when crossing onto the road and continue to the carpark where you started. Remember to keep on the RIGHT HAND SIDE of the road facing traffic. Once back at the car park, TURN RIGHT onto the trail where you first started. Run back up to the small hand gate at the top of the field just before you join the trail. ( and touch it!!)  TURN AROUND, and run back. The finish is where you started. Careful not to run straight out into the road. STOP YOUR WATCH.

The reason the little bit at the end is added is because ;

1. Nobody likes doing it. Especially twice.

2. It’s been present at all previous 5 virtuals so why not now!!

3. It was only added in the first place because Christine thought it would be a good idea to make the lockdown virtual exactly 10 miles. So that’s what we did. Yes, It’s Christine’s fault.

In 2024 we reduced the course to 7.4 miles to help encourage more people to take part. So we are sticking with this shorter course for 2026. It seems you don’t like the long ones. Also to take away the chance of upsetting the horses crossing the road and also to make it a little safer by having less road with traffic to run on. Please give it your best effort and enjoy the challenge. best wishes as always, Rob.

Course Records. Male: Tom Levi 45:19 (2026), Female: Sarah Fairhurst 56:25 (2025)

****All runners must complete the course in the time and date window specified above. There will be no exceptions to this rule.****

Here is the 2026 Risk Assessment and Disclaimer:  Risk Assessment