Won’t it be dark?
We hope so! You need a head or chest to torch to run in this event. No torch no run.
Can I run with my dog?
Yes!!
We’ve had canicross at our Head Torch 10K events at Salcey Forest last year and it was a great success. We request that your dog be lit up (lights on it’s harness rather than wrapping the dog in Christmas lights!), you keep your leads short and be considerate of the other runners. We’ll start the canicross runners off a couple of minutes before the main field. Please read our general canicross rules here.
We’ll confirm the exact timings for this closer to the event but it is likely the canicross start time will be around 18:50.
Please make sure you enter the Canicross race when you click on the enter button above.
Is this part of the Gato Sports Head Torch 10K series?
No, this is a special one-off event at Cannock Chase. If it’s well supported and works well we’ll look to add it to our calendar more regularly.
Course description
Ground conditions will depend very much on the weather closer to the event. It is predominantly on crushed stone however with tree detritus the ground can become a bit slippy and mucky. There are a few sections on more exposed grass paths, trail shoes are advised. The route is fully marked and essentially a 2 lap course. Cannock Chase is hilly!
What does it cost?
We operate a tiered pricing approach. The earlier you enter, the cheaper the event but never ever will you pay a booking fee!
Before 18/09/2023 £19
After 18/09/2023 £24
Unaffiliated entrants pay £2 extra. Why not join your local running club or sign up the Big Bear Brigade and save 10% off entries for ever!
Where is it?
Birches Valley Forest Centre at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, WS15 2UQ. The What 3 Words location is here. It is managed by Forestry England.
Parking is £6 for 2 hours and £9 for 3 hours and functions on ANPR. You can pay by card or coin.
The nearest train stations Rugeley Trent Valley, and Rugeley Town, are both approximately 2 miles away
If you want to see what the venue is like watch the venue preview here.
How far is the race?
10k! This might seem a bit pointless to mention given the name but this is different to a normal Big Bear Event. You'll get the same love, a medal and some goodies but you can't run all night!
I’ve heard you do cupless events?
Yes, but not for this event. Unlike our other events we will have some biodegradable cups with water/electrolyte available on the course and we will have hot drinks available before and after too. If you have a foldable cup you can bring, even better but we don't insist on it for our short races.
Has the event been run before?
Yes… but not here!! We have been holding this event for numerous years at Salcey Forest and it’s won many Gold Racecheck awards too!
I’m not that fussed by a medal..
In that case our partnership with Trees Not Tees may be of interest! When you sign up to this event you can select to have no finish line swag and instead we’ll donate the cost of this to Trees Not Tees who will plant a tree in their Scottish woodland on your behalf! You can find more info about this initiative here.
