Hamsterley Forest Winter Trail Races
Hamsterley, United Kingdom • 10 Jan 2026
Event
The Hamsterley Forest Winter Trail Races take place on Saturday 10 January 2026 at Hamsterley Forest Park, Bishop Auckland DL13 3NL. The event offers two distances:
- Half Marathon
- 10k
The courses start and finish at the visitor centre near the main car park and follow well marked footpaths, forest trails and woodland tracks through Hamsterley Forest. The forest covers about 4,900 acres in County Durham. The route is described as undulating with views of valley and woodland.
Practical information
Terrain is a mixture of hard packed gravel tracks, single twisting dirt tracks and occasional muddy bridleway. The route will be fully waymarked. There will be a race HQ with toilets, medical support on course, and aid stations supplying water, gels and snacks at around mile 4, at a later mid-course point, and at the finish. There are car parking spaces with discounted charges and organisers encourage car sharing; participants may need to walk about 10 minutes to registration. Route GPX files are available.
Entry fees are: Half Marathon £30 (affiliated) / £32 (unaffiliated); 10k £23 (affiliated) / £25 (unaffiliated). Race inclusions noted are a bespoke event mug, hot soup and roll, a packet of mixed wild flower seeds, and free downloadable event photos. Due to winter conditions there is a mandatory kit list; recommended items include full body cover, hat and gloves, waterproof jacket and trousers, and an emergency blanket. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.