Annual Corporate and Inter-Schools Road Running Challenge
A unique series of evening road races for all ages and abilities, run around Chichester city centre. Distances range from 1400m for primary school children up to 4.5km for adults. Races start at the Assembly Rooms on North Street
The 2026 races will be on 25th Feb, 11th & 25th Mar 2026.
Online entry will open in mid-January, with entry to the full race series (all 3 races) priced at £12 for under 18s and students, £20 for adults and £18 for EA-affiliated athletes.
2026 Updates
Note that the Easter term in 2026 is very short, so the first race night will be straight after half-term. Schools should try to get their entries in before half-term
There will be a couple of small changes to the race format this year:
- The order of the primary schools races will be different to previous years – Y5 girls first, then Y5 boys, Y6 girls and Y6 boys.
- The cut-off time for the senior A race will be 19 minutes (up from 18 mins), to try to spread athletes between the two races better. If your 5k time is better than 21m30s, please run in the A race.
Conducted under UK Athletics rules. The main UKA rule you care about is that headphones are not allowed, except bone conducting ones. If the race adjudicator spots your big cans, you will be disqualified.
Timetable (for all three evenings)
6:30pm Year 5 Girls race 1400m, (2 laps)
6:38pm Year 5 Boys race 1400m, (2 laps)
6:46pm Year 6 Girls race 1400m (2 laps)
6:53pm Year 6 Boys race 1400m (2 laps)
Please note only Years 5 & 6 are eligible to run
7:00pm Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 Girls race 2100m (3 laps)
7:15pm Years 7 & 8 Boys race 2100m (3 laps) and Years 9 & 10 Boys race 2800m (4 laps)
7:30pm Corporate Challenge “A” race approx. 4500m (4 laps)
7:55pm Corporate Challenge “B” race approx. 4500m (4 laps)
Historic Results
These are our course record holders.
| Category | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | Chris Zablocki 2016 – 12m38s | Zara Hyde 1996 – 14m15s |
| Year 10 | Lachlan Wellington 2016 – 8m03s | Florence East 2023 – 6m38s |
| Year 9 | Jacob O’Hara 2015 – 8m17s | Florence East 2022 – 6m38s |
| Year 8 | Chris West 2003 – 6m27s | Charlotte Browning 2001 – 6m32s |
| Year 7 | Joe McLarnon 2017 – 6m49s | Charlotte Browning 2000 – 6m48s |
| Year 6 | Jonah Tildesley 2023 – 4m26s | Josie Czura 2012 – 4m36s |
| Year 5 | Will Broom 2011 – 4m40s | Poppy Taylor 2019 – 4m55s |
If you want to see how your time stacks up against the best, we also have a longer list of the top 10(ish) performances in each category
The results of almost every Corporate Challenge Race since 1992 are in the Chichester Corporate Challenge Results achive
Race Information
Race Numbers
If you’re new to running races … relax, you’ll have a blast. The number goes on the front.
Runners should keep their race numbers (and pins) for all three races. A few will always get forgotten and we will have extras, but we won’t be able to replace them all. Don’t make your own – we need the barcode.
Race numbers can be collected from The Assembly Rooms from 5:30pm on race day
If you enter early enough, you will be able to collect your race number(s) from outside Chichester Festival Theatre between 9:30am and 11am on the Saturday before the first race. That’s the same place as the Chichester Park Run, so you can do your 5k and collect your number afterwards.
Schools and senior team organisers are encouraged to collect their numbers in advance, if at all possible.
Schools
Getting numbers onto 600 young people’s shirts in under an hour is quite a challenge. Schools entering the event can help race night run smoothly by doing a few simple things.
- Use the online entry system. Contact us if you can’t pay by card – we have a special system.
- Get your entries in early. We can handle a few entries on the day, but they are a pain.
- Collect your race numbers in advance.
- If you can’t collect in advance, send 1 person to get all your numbers from the Assembly Rooms.
- Pick a rendezvous location for your school and tell everyone where to meet. The area in front of the Assembly Rooms will be crazy busy. Choose a spot on Crane St, East St or down towards the cross.
- Remind pupils and parents to bring their number for the 2nd and 3rd races
Senior Races
- The senior Corporate Challenge is split into ‘A’ and ‘B’ races for logistical reasons. If you expect to finish in under 19m15s or your usual 5k time is under 21m30s minutes then please run in the ‘A’ race.
- Team results are based on the fastest times, regardless of whether athletes run in the ‘A’ or ‘B’ race.
- You do not need to be a member of a team to run. Individuals are welcome to enter.
- Members of Corporate teams must all be connected to a workplace or a school/college in a way that passes the Race Director’s sniff test. All work together? Of course. Spouses and partners? No problem. Meet at the school gates every day? Sure. Clients? Why not, within reason. A few mates who run for different clubs? You’re a Sports team.
Parking
- If you are driving, please use one of the two large car parks in Chichester city centre – the Northgate car park (near the Festival Theatre) and the Cattle Market car park (near the end of East St)
- Both car parks are a 5-10 minute walk from the start line, but have plenty of space and will allow you an easy getaway. Look at the walk as a chance for a gentle warm-up!
- The Little London car park is inside the senior race route and exit will be difficult until all the races are over.
- Baffins Lane and East Pallant may also be affected by our road closures.
- Please don’t park on the streets near the course. We rely on the goodwill of local residents to put this event on and want to be good neighbours. Taking all their parking spaces doesn’t win us any friends
Teams
- The teams in the junior race are all schools. Please enter using a school name (any school), not an athletics club.
- The Corporate Challenge is meant to be a fun event, outside the normal competitive running calendar. By tradition, we try to avoid having athletics club names in the results. Have some fun, think of a witty name for your team. Maybe enter your training group under its own name.
- Team size is unlimited. The fastest 4 count for Senior Men’s/Mixed teams, the fastest 3 for Women’s and School teams.
- Large teams will be split into A/B/C teams by the organisers, when the results are drawn up. Fastest group in the A team, then the B team, and so on.
- For large mixed teams we will try to split-out as many all-female teams as possible, because that usually gives more positive results. Let us know if you would prefer to be treated as fully mixed team.
- The series results for individuals are based on the aggregrate time across all the races for seniors and on the best 2 performances for the schools’ races.
- The series results for most teams are based on the team’s aggregrate time across all the races. Secondary schools teams are best 2-out-of-3.
Other Information
- Any competitor failing to uphold the standards of the England Athletics Code of Conduct for Athletes will be disqualified from the whole series, at the sole discretion of the race organisers and with no right of appeal or refund.
- Sorry, but we aren’t allowed to let competitors use the toilets in the Assembly Rooms. The nearest public toilets are in the Little London Car Park, behind the Assembly Rooms.
- Competitors may be photographed or videoed, for publicity purposes and to help with recording the results. By entering you are giving your permission.
