Shires and Spires

Shires and Spires

Shires and Spires is a circular multi‑distance running event based at Naseby Village Hall in Northamptonshire. The courses mix trails and roads and run through countryside near country houses such as Holdenby House, Cottesbrooke and Althorp. The event uses waymarks and requires some navigation on parts of the route; organisers provide a GPS tracker and a voice navigation app for navigation support.

Distances offered include:

• Ultra Marathon: 35 miles, multi terrain with roads and trails.
• Marathon: 26.6 miles, mixed road and trail.
• Three-Quarter Marathon: 19.1 miles, mixed road and trail.
• Half Marathon: 13.4 miles, mainly road with some trail.
• 10K: 10 kilometres, road course.

Aid stations are provided at multiple checkpoints along the longer distances; the ultra has five checkpoints and the marathon has four. Cut‑off times are applied to longer events, with no cut‑off on the 10K. Age limits apply by distance, for example the ultra and marathon are restricted to entrants aged 18 and over. Mandatory kit requirements are stated for longer events and include a fully charged mobile phone and the ability to carry at least 1 litre of water; organisers also advise trail shoes and weather appropriate clothing. Parking is available at the village hall complex and the route direction alternates between clockwise and anti clockwise in different years. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.