Mercia Fell Runners Long Mynd Valleys
- Race Date/Time: Sunday, 9 February 2025 11:00 am
- Race Status: Confirmed
- Race Organiser: Mercia - Phil Wilkinson
- Race Registration Location: National Trust Pavilion Carding Mill Valley
- Race Entry Type: On-day or Pre-register
- Race Entry Fee (£'s): £12.50 pre-entry. £15.00 on the day subject to availability of places.
- Race Total Ascent (metres): 1300m
- Race Distance (km): 18 km
- Race Category: AM
There is a new route from 2024 - see attached map and image below
Pre-enter via SI Entries here.
Details: Entries open 31/12/24
The Long Mynd Valleys Race 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.
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Car Parking: Please park either in the free race car park at Church Stretton School (SY6 6EX, approx 10 minutes walk to registration) or in the National Trust Carding Mill Valley car park (up to 10 minutes walk to registration. Car parking charges apply in Cardingmill Valley for non NT members). Please don't park on street anywhere - respect the privacy and property of the householders who live in the area. There is additional parking in the main Church Stretton pay and display car park, which is free on Sundays.
Event Centre and Registration: We will be based at the National Trust Pavilion in Carding Mill Valley. Please use the toilets at National Trust Pavilion in Cardingmill valley. Please do not water the grass in the valley; the future of the race depends on this!
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.
Race Kit: 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: There are siginficant fragile and environmentally important areas on the Mynd. Out-of-bounds areas have been agreed with the land owners and are clearly marked on the race map. There will also be small sections of waymarking, leading away from some controls, to help you navigate past the out-of-bounds areas.
Check Points and Cut-off Times: There will be strictly enforced & you will be asked to retire if you do not meet them. If you have raced the previous route and your time was 3.30 or over then there is a risk you will be timed out on the new route. The stats for the route are similar but it is steeper and more varied in terrain.
New route from 2024
Start SO 444 944 (///mavericks.mixed.minerals) 11:00am
Proceed UP the Valley
1.CP1 SO 446 960. Stream crossing at bottom of ridge. Marked route on day, proceed up ridge.
2.CP2 SO 438 965. Finger post on main track.
3.CP3 SO 422 946. End of connecting grassy track by Port Way from Rattlinghope Road. Race cut off time 12.15.
4.CP4 SO 424 932. Stream crossing. Marked route on day, proceed up ridge.
5.CP5 SO 416 925. Stream junction upper part of Callow Hollow. Marked route on day, proceed up ridge.
6.CP6 SO 410 921. Grassy bridleway. Proceed SE on bridleway.
7.CP7 SO 418 916. Turn off bridleway to traverse SSE descending ridge into Minton Batch.
8.CP8 SO 419 910. Stream junction Windy Batch and Minton batch. Race cut off time 13.15.
9.CP9 SO 427 920. Stream Junction Callow Hollow and Grindle Hollow - marked route initially on day, proceed up ridge.
10.CP10 SO 430 926. Grindle Summit.
11.CP11 SO 439 926. Near stile at the bottom of Ashes Hollow. Race cut off time 14.15.
12.CP12 SO 437 935. Yearlet Summit.
Finish Top Car Park, Cardingmill Valley SO 440 947 (///wicket.throat.vest) Finish Closes at 15.00.
TO GET A RESULT YOU MUST DOWNLOAD, and return your "Dibber" to Registration
See attached map - note: this map is for guidance only, the check points are marked but the route between them is up to you within the constraints described elsewhere.
There could be race officials at all checkpoints. Follow any marshal instructions and you must dib at all check points otherwise you will be disqualified as not completing the course.
There will be NO early start for 2025, we will revisit this decision for 2026.
Environment / Ecology: Every year we come under more scrutiny as management plans are developed and there are more and more visitors with more awareness of the value of the flora and fauna of the Long Mynd. The new route for 2024 has been designed to remove the race from the majority of the sensitive areas it used to pass through. We'd like to record our thanks to Tom Blackwell and Andy Perry of the National Trust for working with us on a sustainstainable race route.
Charity Donations. This event is organised by Mercia fell runners. We do so in a not for profit way. Some proceeds from this event will go to local charities.
Toilets, Changing, Showers: There are toilets in the National Trust Pavilion and free public toilets in Church Stretton town centre. Sorry, there are no showers or changing rooms available at this race, small bags with dry clothes can be left at registration - neither we nor the National Trust nor Church Stretton School will be responsible for your property so don't leave valuables please.
Coffee & Tea: Available from the fantastic National Trust Café in Cardingmill Valley
Soup & Bread : Available free to all finishers at race control at the National Trust Pavilion.
Prize Giving: from 3.00 in the event centre - National Trust Pavilion.
Records: male Dan Connelly 1:39:00 2024, female Sara Willhoit 1:57:07 2024
Results: Will be published on our website ASAP, see merciafr.club
Note for RO's:
There is a comprehensive folder of organisation information for this race available. Ask any Mercia committee member if you would like access to it.