A cross-country relay event for teams of 3 or 4 runners (depending on age & gender), with races for all ages. Includes 2km non-relay races for Under-12s (school years 5 & 6) and a 1km fun run for Under-10s (year 4).
The 2026 races will be held on Sat 10th October.
Online entry has now closed, but we will accept last-minute entries on the day.
Team managers can use our online system to tell us who ran which leg.
Changes for 2026
- Under 10s fun run. A hilly 1000m run to give young people in year 4 a taste of cross-country.
- Mixed relay. Scheduled in the middle of day, so that runners can also take part in the senior races. And so that young people won’t have to wait around for too long to cheer-on their mums and dads.
- Female Vets 65 category. Recognising that many athletes are now staying active well beyond 55.
- 3 person MV50 teams. To make it easier to get a complete team together.
- Earlier start. To fit in the extra races we are going to start a little earlier and pack the schedule a little tighter than in previous years. Be sure to read the timetable carefully.
Course & Location
The senior course is approximately 4km per lap, on grassland and footpaths through the woods in Goodwood Country Park. The junior course is about 2.8km, with less time in the woods. Both courses are suitable for spikes. And have plenty of hills.
Race HQ and parking are on the large green area opposite the Goodwood Racecourse. PO18 0PS
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Timetable
Note that junior age categories are based on age at the end of the school year (31st August 2027)
11:00 Under-10 Fun Run (Boys & Girls)
1000m (1 lap). Not a relay.
For school year 4 (minimum age 8, on the day)
11:10 Under-12 Race (Boys & Girls)
2000m (2 laps). Straight race, not a relay
For school years 5 & 6
May be split into 2 races, if there are a lot of entries
11:30 Under-14 Race (Boys & Girls)
3 x 2800m (approx) relay
12:00 Mixed Relay
4 x 2000m (approx) relay, running on part of the junior course
All ages, U18 upwards (age 16 to veteran)
12:30 Under-16 Race (Boys & Girls)
3 x 2800m (approx) relay
13:15 Women’s Race
3 x 4000m (approx) relay – U18, Senior, V35, V45, V55, V65
14:15 Men’s Race
4 x 4000m (approx) relay – Senior, V40
3 x 4000m (approx) relay – U18, V50, V60
U18s and Veterans may run in their clubs’ senior teams.
Sussex Championships
The event incorporates the Sussex County Championships, for clubs affiliated to the Sussex Athletics Association. All members of these teams must have Sussex qualification – essentially, either live in Sussex or have been born in Sussex. For the full details of county eligibility, see Rule G2 S6 (page 324) of the UKA Rules for Competition
Non-Sussex Teams
Teams from Hampshire, Surrey, from informal running groups and from clubs that aren’t affiliated to Sussex AA are all very welcome to take part in the event, but are not eligible for the Sussex Championships.
Primary School Races
The U10 and U12 races are open to all young people of the appropriate age, whether they run with a club or not.
Both will be run as simple races, but U12 runners can opt to run as a 3-person boys or girls team. Or they can just run as an individual. If you put a club, school or team name in the box on the entry form then we’ll connect the dots. Groups of more than 3 will be split into A/B/C teams when the results are processed.
Mixed Relay
- The mixed relay will be run as a single race, with no age categories.
- Teams should consist of 2 male and 2 female runners, of the U18 age category (16+) or older.
- Competitors are permitted to enter the senior races later, as well.
- Race order is open – MWMW, WMWM, WMMW, MWWM, WWMM, MMWW … you decide.
- No handovers after 30 mins. If the last runner hasn’t set off when we need to start the next race, the team will be marked as DNF
- The course will be 1 lap of the part of the junior course that goes through the woods.
Medals and Prizes
Sussex county medals will be awarded to the first 3 Sussex teams in each of the categories recognized as County Championship events by Sussex AA (U14B, U14G, U16B, U16G, U18M, U18W, SW, FV35, FV45, FV55, FV65, SM, MV40, MV50, MV60). There will be no individual prizes for these races.
The U10 event is a fun run, to encourage young people to try cross country, and there will be no medals or prizes. There will be plenty of sweets for everyone who finishes, though.
For the U12 race, event medals will be awarded to the first 3 boys, the first 3 girls, the first 3 boys’ teams and the first 3 girls’ teams (teams of 3). The team medals will be delivered after the event.
For the Mixed Relay, event medals will be awarded to the first 3 teams.
The U12 race and the Mixed Relay are not County Championship events, so Sussex qualification is not relevant. The medals will go to whoever wins, where ever they come from.
