Hooded Horse Fell Race

Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers Hooded Horse Fell Race - proudly fundraising for Herriot Hospice Homecare.

FRA Category: BM Distance: 10.71km
Climb: 390m

FRA course classification: PM (Course partially marked)
NS (Navigational Skills required) 
LK (Local Knowledge an advantage) 
GPS navigation cannot be used.

The race starts and finishes on the grass adjacent to the car park.

Any monies raised will be for Herriot Hospice Homecare. They support local families living with terminal illnesses and bereavement across Hambleton and Richmondshire. Our specialist care allows people to spend their last days in the place of their choice. They have just opened their first hospice building in Thirsk.

Registration at Race HQ (Wren’s Nest cafe): 9.30 - 10:45am for number pick up and registration (YOU MUST REGISTER) @ The Yorkshire Gliding Club, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, YO7 2EY. 

Fell Race Start: 11am.

Prizes will be presented at the end of the race in the Kilburn Forest car park. These are awarded on the basis of the entrant’s age at the start of the Series, 06/10/24. Prizes are female and male open, senior including U23 and from V40 in five year age bands with male and female team prizes too.

This is a fell race, not a trail race, held under the Fell Runner Association rules. It is your responsibility to be prepared and suitably knowledgeable to undertake this race.

Required Kit: Please bring the full FRA Mandatory Minimum Kit; waterproof whole-body cover (with taped seams and integrated attached hood), hat, gloves, map of the route and compass (no GPS to follow route), whistle and emergency food.

The organiser will confirm on the day which items you will be required to carry for the duration of race. Random kit checks in operation. 

Participants are not permitted to run the race with dogs or bicycles.

Parking:
PARKING CHARGES ARE APPLICABLE AT THE KILBURN FOREST (WHITE HORSE) CAR PARK & SUTTON BANK VISITOR CENTRE
All participants are encouraged to CAR SHARE wherever possible. There is parking at the Visitor Centre, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, YO7 2EH.
The cost of parking will be around £4 and there are toilet facilities (open at 9.30am) and a coffee shop.
It is then about 1.5 miles (walk or warm up jog to the start line at the Kilburn Forest (White horse) car park – at the bottom of the steps).
You can park at the Kilburn Forest Car park Low Town Bank Road, Kilburn, North Yorkshire YO61 4AN, however spaces are limited, charges will apply - we ask you to park sensibly and in an orderly fashion (i.e. don't take up 2 spaces or block anyone in).
PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE ROAD LEADING UP OR DOWN TO THE WHITE HORSE CAR PARK. It is steep and narrow and must be kept clear for emergency access and other vehicles.

Toilets:

The nearest ones are at the Gliders Nest Cafe @ The Yorkshire Gliding Club, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, YO7 2EY 

Toilets and cafe open from 9.30am (approximately 700m from the top of the steps from the Kilburn Forest (White Horse car park). This involves a walk along the grassy verge beside the road. Please do not go on to the airfield. The gliding club are happy for runners to use the toilet facilities but please don’t use their car park. There are 2 free car parks further along the road at the top of  White Horse Bank. The cafe will be open from 9.30 and refreshments will be available before and after the race so you can park there after the race should you wish to purchase refreshments.

Toilets at Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, YO7 2EH open from 9am.

There are NO toilet facilities at the start/finish so please plan ahead.

Bag Drop:
There will be an unsecure bag drop area at the start/finish for participants. We will not be responsible for any valuables so please plan ahead.

Course description (you can download a pdf map at this link)

The race will start on the grassy area adjacent to the Kilburn Forest car park. 
ALL checkpoints (CP) must be visited.
There will be a pre-race safety brief.
The whole race route is in the woods, therefore there will be tree branches and roots, brambles, nettles, gorse, mud. After this winter’s storms there are a couple of trees over the fire tracks as detailed below.

• From the start, once you are on the path leading from the car park, after 150m take the path to the left leading to CP1.
• CP1 (SE  5111 8120) turn left then bear right. At the next fork bear left and follow the path as it bends to the left and continue downhill. Ignore the blue footpath sign (pointing to the right) and continue straight ahead on to muddy path to CP2 (the “muddy path” will be wet and slippery if it has rained and is lined by gorse).
• CP2 (SE 5078 8134) turn right on to the fire track. After 40m turn right and follow the ascending path to CP3.
• CP3 (SE 5128 8179) Turn left on to footpath. Continue along the path until you reach a fork. Bear left on to the fire track and continue descending, until you reach a T-junction and CP4. There is a tree covering the track, take care going past.
• CP4 (SE 5073 8160) Turn left onto the fire track and continue straight ahead to CP5.
• CP5 (SE 5077 8138) Turn right and follow the path ascending up through the trees. The path runs parallel to the fire track then bears right uphill. Ignore the path on the left. Continue straight ahead until a clearing is reached. Continue on the level path through the bracken (ignore the steep cycle path uphill). At the next junction turn left continue straight ahead then follow the path as it bends to the right and on to CP6.
• CP6 (SE 5030 8090) From here to CP7 the path is narrow and ill defined, there are brambles, tree roots and lots of mud if it has rained. Turn left onto grassy, then brambly uneven narrow path through the trees to reach the edge of the tree line and a grassy area. Follow the path as it bears right keeping the trees on the right and High Ground Barn on the left into Spruce Bank Wood. After passing the barn, turn left, continue to follow the path.
• CP 6a (SE 5020 8059) Turn right and follow the path for 40m until you reach the tree leaning to the left (this tree has been leaning like this for a few years) Turn left when you reach the tree to follow the brambly path for 180m reaching the edge of the wood then join the path straight ahead and follow as it turns right and descends downhill passing a small lake on the left. At the end of the track bear left to CP7.
• CP 7 (SE 4980 8067)Turn right the fire track. Continue along the fire track for 700m then turn right and follow the path ascending past the Quarry (dis), straight ahead at the first junction, continuing uphill. Further up the path bends to the right then left then you reach a fork in front of a few trees. The path to follow is behind the trees, bear to the right of these trees to reach this path, then straight ahead and uphill to reach CP8 at the fence.
• CP8 (SE 5044 8154) At the fence turn left and follow the path descending. Take the 2nd turn on the left and continue to descend to the fire track. At the T-junction turn right and continue on the fire track for 1.33m, past CPs 4,5 and 2 and continue straight ahead, bearing left at the fork to stay on the fire track as it ascends. There may be a tree covering the track along here. Take an acute turn left onto a path (there is a footpath sign pointing left here). Continue straight ahead. Ignore the next footpath sign pointing right. Follow the track as it gently ascends to a fork CP9A.
• CP9A Turn right at the fork ascending to CP9B soon after.
• CP9B (this was also CP1 SE 5111 8120) Turn left and follow the muddy path until you reach a T-junction CP9C.
• CP9C Turn right climbing to the finish line.