The Sandstone Trail Race
For over thirty years, Deeside Orienteering Club has organised an annual race along the Sandstone Trail. Usually held in October, the Sandstone Trail Challenge is friendly and informal and attracts entrants from a wide area including many from Merseyside and the Welsh borders.
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| Runners on an elevated section of the Sandstone Trail at Bickerton |
Two Races
There are two races in the Sandstone Trail Challenge over distances to suit both first-time trail runners and more experienced competitors. Both of the Sandstone Trail races are open to men and women aged 18 or over.
Race A covers around 31 kilometres/17 miles of the Sandstone Trail with 530 metres/1,750 feet of ascent and starts at Duckington, at the southern end of the Bickerton Hills.
Race B starts at the foot of Beeston Castle and covers around 18.5 kilometres/10 miles of the Sandstone Trail with 290 metres/950 feet of ascent. Race A starts at 10am and Race B at 11pm.
Average club runners complete the longer Sandstone Challenge course in around 2 hours fifteen minutes on a dry year. Both Sandstone Trail races finish at the Barnsbridge Gates Car Park in Delamere Forest where the trophies are presented and runners and their friends and families can enjoy a leisurely picnic or meet at a nearby pub. Competitor numbers are limited to 150 for each race and places are at a premium.
For more details and PDF entry forms for the Sandstone Trail race, see: www.deeside-orienteering-club.org.uk/sstrail/index.htm.
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