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 race for Under-10s (year 4).
The 2026 races will be held on Sat 10th October.
Click here to enter online. Entries will close at midday on Fri 9th October.
Changes for 2026
- Under 10s race. A hilly 1000m race 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.
- 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
11:00 Under-10 Race (Boys & Girls)
1000m (1 lap). Straight race, not a relay.
For school year 4 (minimum age 8)
11:10 Under-12 Race (Boys & Girls)
2000m (2 laps). Straight race, not a relay.
For school years 5 & 6 (age 10 & 11)
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 4000m (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, V50
3 x 4000m (approx) relay – U18, V60
U18s and Veterans may run in their clubs’ senior teams.
Junior ages as at 31st August
Medals will be awarded to the first 3 Sussex teams and the fastest individual runners in each category.
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 runners can opt to run as a 3-person boys or girls team. Just put a club, school or team name in the box on the entry form and 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.
- 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.
- Competitors are permitted to enter the senior races later, as well.
