Jingle Hells

• Race Date/Time: Sunday, 8 December 2024 11:00 am
• Race Status: Confirmed
• Race Organiser: Robin Bacon (Mercia)
• Race Registration Location: Scout Hut (in Rectory Field, Church Stretton SO452938)
• Race Entry Type: On-day or Pre-register
• Race Entry Fee (£'s): £8.00 Pre-Entry or £10.00 on the day
• Race Total Ascent (metres): 1056m
• Race Distance (km): 10km (6.38 miles)
• Race Category: AM

Notes:

New race, RO - Robin Bacon

Pre-enter via SI Entries and on the day.

Details: Entries open TBC

Jingle Hells is run under FRA Rules, the governing body of our sport, all runners who compete in any of our races must comply with FRA Rules and comply with the FRA Safety Requirements for fell races and carry all equipment specified by the FRA and race organisers. If you do not know the rules please click on the links provided. Failure to comply with FRA Rules & or Requirements means you will not be allowed to start the race.

8. Disciplinary action: the Race Organiser can exclude you and the FRA can ban you if you do not observe race requirements and these “Runners’ Rules”.
The FRA may take disciplinary action such as disqualification and/or banning a competitor from future races, and your club may also impose sanctions if your actions reflect badly on them. “Absolute no-nos” are retiring from a race without reporting to the Race Organiser at the finish (the “golden rule”), running in someone else’s number or no number, using someone’s else’s FRA membership card or number, cheating on the kit requirements or using GPS (or equivalent) for navigation or fixing position. Please ‘do your bit’ to make our sport safe and enjoyable for all.

CAR PARKING: Please park in the main car park by the Co-op SO454936 or sensibly in the town. Please park responsibly and do not cause issues for other road users and town residents.

The event centre is the Scout Hut SO452938. Please use the toilets at the Co-op Car Park or in the Scout Hut / those provided. Please do not water the grass anywhere else, the future of racing depends on Fell runners good behaviour.

Retirement Procedure: You must report to the finish and surrender your race number and dibber to an official at the finish. This is vitally important, if you don't do this you could be the subject of a false alarm with race officials and send the local rescue teams out on the hill looking for you. You will also be the subject of FRA disciplinary action.

Safety: Make sure your number is worn on your chest and is clearly visible to the marshals as you approach each checkpoint. You will also be issued with an SI 'dibber' that must be inserted in the reading stations at each check point. Failure to do this will lead to disqualification.

Competitors must be aware of weather conditions. All competitors must carry waterproof tops, waterproof bottoms, hat, gloves, emergency food, map, compass & whistle. Competitors will be kit checked. Any competitor not carrying this equipment will be disqualified. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT AN EASY FELL RACE AND IS UNSUITABLE FOR NOVICE OR UNFIT FELL RUNNERS.

Out of Bounds: The route has been planned with the approval of the National Trust to stay out of environmentally sensitive areas so please stick the race route as described.

Check Points and Cut-off Times will be strictly enforced & you will be asked to retire if you do not meet them. Although a short race it is steep and with a lot of ascent, the last 1/3 of the route is tough. There is a cut off time of 1hr 30mins to the top of Grindle to ensure marshals are not spending too much time in the hills in winter conditions.

Jingle Hells Route Description.

• Race HQ – Church Stretton Scout Hut. SO452937.
• Start and Finish Rectory Field. SO452937.
• Proceed up the hill to the gated entry to Rectory Wood. MP1 SO449938.
• Go through wood keeping left on the top path down the steps, cross the stream to the gated exit of Rectory Wood to Town Brook. MP2 SO447939.
• Proceed up Town Brook to MP3. SO442939.
• Turn left at MP3 – cross the stream and head up the side of Yearlet to the summit. This will be marked on the day; it is the Callow Fell Race climb for those who know it.
• Top of Yearlet CP4. DIB POINT. SO437935.
• Turn broadly west on the obvious path down to the col above Town Brook Valley. From there bear left and follow a trod onto a ridge descending to a stream crossing at SO431933. This will be marked on the day.
• From the stream crossing turn left then ascend an obvious trod to the ridge line then turn right. You are now on the Long Synalds ridge climb often used on the time trial for those who know it.
• Proceed approx 40-50m up the ridge then turn left on a trod. This will then contour across the north side of Ashes Hollow to rejoin the main Ashes Hollow path and will be marked on the day.
• Turn up Ashes Hollow path to MP5 SO424932.
• Turn left across the stream and climb up the Balcony Path under Round Hill at MP6 SO422930. This is the New Long Mynd Valleys climb out of Ashes Hollow for those who know it.
• Now turn left and head ESE towards Grindle on the Balcony Path to MP7. SO425928.
• At MP7 bear right on to a well worn trod at the south end of Cross Dyke. SO426927.
• Follow this trod on keeping right and contouring on to the ridge in front. This will be marked on the day. You are now on the ridge which is on the Callow Fell Race . Turn right and descend the ridge into Callow Hollow.
• Cross the stream and continue on down Callow Hollow.
• At the bottom of Grindle Hollow SO427921 turn left across the stream and ascend the SE ridge of Grindle to it’s summit.
• Top of Grindle CP8. DIB POINT. SO430926. CUT OFF @ 1hr 30mins.
• Now proceed ESE downhill, passing over Nills and down to the bottom of Ashes Hollow SO439925. This is the usual Long Mynd Valleys descent for those who know it.
• Turn left and proceed up Ashes Hollow, cross the foot bridge then just past the cottage garden wall turn right and steeply climb the side of Ashlet heading for the cairn on the south end of the hill. This is the Callow Fell Race 1st climb for those who know it.
• Top of Ashlet at Cairn CP9. DIB POINT. SO440931.
• From the cairn descend immediately down W to pick up a well worn trod. This will be marked on the day. Turning right you are now descending into the upper part of the valley between Ashlet and Yearlet.
• Proceed up the valley to climb the head wall and MP10 on the Col between Yearlet and Ashlet. SO440935.
• Now cross the green path bearing right to pick up a well worn trod that contours the lip of the valley above Town Brook. This will be marked on the day.
• At the end of the valley rim above Town Brook, drop sharply down the ridge to connect with the bottom of the Green Path. Turn left and descend to the end of Town Brook turning right into Rectory Wood at MP11 which was also MP2. SO447939.
• Now retrace the route across the stream, up the steps, back into the top of Rectory Wood and downhill to the finish.