ROLY'S RUN 2024 IS NOW CLOSED FOR ENTRIES.
Please note:
- If you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms, or have been requested to self-isolate please do not attend the event.
- Most restrictions relating to COVID guidelines have been eased since July. If this changes, we will assess the impact on the event.
- Please make sure you are aware of the latest advice from NHS UK.
- Anyone at the event that develops symptoms within 48hrs, should contact the Covid19 coordinator.
- We stress the requirement for social distancing before, during, and after the event.
- A mass start will not be possible. Runners to start in allocated slots.
- Runners to turn-up 'ready-to-run'. There will be no registration/race-briefing on the day, race numbers/info will be posted out.
- Please follow the government guidelines regarding 'travel safer' travel guidance.
Event Information To be finalised for 2023 event...
Roly's Run is a circular route in and around the Meon Valley that takes in some of the local hills, including Beacon Hill and Old Winchester Hill.
The course is 80% trail, has some amount of climbing, and can be tricky underfoot in places,
particularly in wet weather or after persistent rain (e.g. loose stones, tree roots, slippery descents on chalky paths).
Abandon hope all ye for a PB! :)
GENERAL INFO
ENTERING THE EVENT
Entries are now closed for Roly's Run 2024. Provisional date for 2025 is 16th Nov. 2025.
Entries can be made via SiEntries . You will need to register with SiEntries before being able to enter. The event is capped at 300 walkers/runners across all routes. Entries on SiEntries will close on Mon. 30 September.
Please note: run will be held under UKA rules. Unfortunately, no dogs may join competitors on the route. Runners must be 17 years of age or over to run the 15 mile event, 18 years of age or over to run the 20 mile event, and 20 years of age or over to run the 40 mile event.
RUN HQ
Run HQ is at Swanmore Village Hall, SO32 2PF.
BEFORE THE DAY
- Please check your personal/emergency contact details are correct on SiEntries.
- Race numbers and RFID timing tags can be collected from registration at event HQ on the day.
- Any final details will be posted to this page, and we will send out a reminder e-mail to check this page in the week prior to the event. (Please check junk/spam folders in case).
- Do familiarise yourselves with the route you are doing. We will be marking all routes, but doesn't hurt to know what you're letting yourself in for...
ON THE DAY
PRE-START
- If you are doing the 40 miler, please arrive early and be ready to start at 8am. Everyone else, please arrive between 8-10am.
- There is parking for ~45 cars at the village hall, and a further ~30 spaces in the school staff car park, diagonally opposite the village hall, will be available to us. If the car parks are full please park on the main road, anywhere where it is permitted.
- Please register at event HQ, and collect your number and RFID timing tag, to be worn on your wrist. No entries on the day please!
- Participants will be able to leave bags in the hall. There should be someone in the hall all day, but please don't leave valuables.
- Toilets available for use at Swanmore Village Hall.
START
Run start AND finish will be on New Road cricket field. The field is approx. 200m up the road from the village hall. Please note:
- There will be no mass start, instead start-times will be fairly flexible.
- 40 mile event to start from 8am. That way, 40s will have most of the day to get round in case.
- Then, flexible start-times between 8:05 and 10:00 - start when you like!
- Please wait for a marshall to start you off, ensuring that you place the tag on your wrist near the START timing control. You should see the tag flash to indicate a read.
DURING THE EVENT
- You must visit every checkpoint on your route. Once you have touched your tag to the race control at the checkpoint, you are free to continue.
- Make sure your number is visible throughout.
- Please follow instructions from marshals at all times.
- Take all litter with you and dispose of it in a bin at a checkpoint.
- Be nice...to other runners, volunteers, and other people/animals you meet on the route.
In the event of a medical emergency, please ring the emergency services first then notify event admins if possible. For everything else, please speak with a volunteer or contact event admins, we are there to help. If you decide to retire from the course, please let a marshal know before walking off the route and heading home. If we don't know you have stopped, we will assume you are missing in action and act accordingly!
FINISH
After tapping your tag at the finish timing control, please deposit your timing chip in the container provided. Congrats! You have finished either a 15, 20 or 40 mile epic - go you!
We will then invite you to walk back down to the village hall to collect your goody bag and grab something to eat. We will have hot food, hot drinks, and homemade cake at the village hall.
Swanmore Leisure centre have kindly agreed to let us use their showers in the past. The leisure centre is at the secondary school opposite the village hall and is open until 6pm. It is diagonally across the school car park, if approaching from the village hall, and has a blue facade.
With many miles in the legs and a belly full of cake, tiredness can set in. If you have a long drive home, please make sure you are fully alert before setting off.
Results will be posted here a few days after the event.
MEDALS ARE OVERRATED...
...so everyone that participates will get a rock instead! Some time ago when Rich (Roly) and I were packing for an 86 mile coast-to-coast hike, I saw a huge rock next to his backpack with a smiley face on it. I asked Rich what it was and he said "...oh that's 'Boris the Rock' ... we're taking him with us". His pack was so heavy that he sometimes had to be pushed up to his feet to get him going!
No-one knows what happened to Boris, but every runner/walker will get a 'mini-Boris', as a memento of the race. Feel free to carry it around with you on your next big run/hike!
A mini-Boris in Mallorca! (Image courtesy of Seb Briggs)
ROUTE OPTIONS
There are three route options available. They all have in common the 15 mile loop, below in red, taking in Swanmore, Beacon Hill, Meonstoke, Droxford.
20 and 40 events head up to the top of Winchester Hill, to a checkpoint at the car-park. The 20 mile route then heads back the same way but staying on the SDW until the railway line, then along the railway line, back to Meonstoke.
From Winchester Hill, the 40 route heads East on the SDW to the Sustainability Centre checkpoint. From there, runners go back along SDW to begin a clockwise loop taking in East Meon and Butser Hill, before returning to the Sustainability Centre, then on the SDW once more to head back to Winchester Hill.
Below you'll find a summary of each route, including GPX file and a link to view each route on OS Maps. Please note: GPX files will be updated for the last time week before the event. Please be aware that the GPX track, while broadly accurate, may deviate from the actual route. Last minute changes to the route are unforeseeable and in this case please follow signage/instructions from marshalls.
| Event | Dist. | Climb | Cut-off | Checkpoints | Map/gpx file | Entry fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 15.8mile (25.4km) |
468m |
Walkers welcome |
3 | [View in OS Maps]
[Download .GPX] |
£25 (£27 if unattached) |
| 20 | 22.0mile (35.3km) |
677m |
Walkers welcome |
5 | [View in OS Maps]
[Download .GPX] |
£25 (£27 if unattached) |
| 40 | 40.5mile (65.18km) |
1310m | 10 hours | 9 | [View in OS Maps]
[Download .GPX] |
£45 (£47 if unattached) |
(*) Limekiln Lane (route up to Butser Hill), has been re-opened and 40 milers will be using it in 2022. This is reflected in the latest GPX file.
CHECKPOINTS
Below is a list of the checkpoints available in each route (please click on the relevant button). Most checkpoints will have a selection of things available including water, snacks and vegan/dairy-free items. We strongly encourage participants to carry their own water/snacks from the start.
Please follow the marshals instructions when approaching and using the checkpoint facilities. At the checkpoints, marshals will be crossing you off a list / recording the time, to aid with runner tracking.
40 miler
| Checkpoint | Leg Dist. (km) | Cum. Dist. (km) | Cold/Hot Drinks | Food | Toilets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| START | 0 | 0 | Y | Toilets at village hall. | B3035 Crossing | 6.6 | 6.6 | Y/N | Y | N | Self-serve drinks station after B3035 road crossing. |
| Lomer Farm | 5.4 | 11.9 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Meonstoke | 5.6 | 17.5 | Y/Y | Y | Y | |
| Winchester Hill | 4.6 | 22.1 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Sustainability Centre | 6.0 | 28.1 | Y/N | Y | Y | Toilets a short walk from CP.* |
| Car park near Pidham Cottages | 9.8 | 37.9 | Y/Y | Y | N | |
| Sustainability Centre | 8.2 | 46.1 | Y/N | Y | Y | Toilets a short walk from CP.* |
| Winchester Hill | 5.9 | 52.0 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Meonstoke | 5.3 | 57.4 | Y/Y | Y | Y | |
| FINISH | 7.9 | 65.4 | Y/Y | Y | Y |
(*) There is also a public toilet in the Butser Hill car park, only a few hundred yards off the route.
20 miler
| Checkpoint | Leg Dist. (km) | Cum. Dist. (km) | Cold/Hot Drinks | Food | Toilets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| START | 0 | 0 | Y | Toilets at village hall. | ||
| B3035 Crossing | 6.6 | 6.6 | Y/N | Y | N | Self-serve drinks station after B3035 road crossing. |
| Lomer Farm | 5.4 | 11.9 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Meonstoke | 5.6 | 17.5 | Y/Y | Y | Y | |
| Winchester Hill | 4.6 | 22.1 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Meonstoke | 5.3 | 27.4 | Y/Y | Y | Y | |
| FINISH | 7.9 | 35.3 | Y/Y | Y | Y |
15 miler
| Checkpoint | Leg Dist. (km) | Cum. Dist. (km) | Cold/Hot Drinks | Food | Toilets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| START | 0 | 0 | Y | Toilets at village hall. | ||
| B3035 Crossing | 6.6 | 6.6 | Y/N | Y | N | Self-serve drinks station after B3035 road crossing. |
| Lomer Farm | 5.4 | 11.9 | Y/N | Y | N | |
| Meonstoke | 5.6 | 17.5 | Y/Y | Y | Y | |
| FINISH | 7.9 | 25.4 | Y/Y | Y | Y |
COURSE MARKING
The entirety of the routes will be marked with arrows/tape/flags/flour as necessary. Markings may be less frequent on some major paths e.g. South Downs Way. The railway line will be marked using flags / bright textile - its surface prevents us staking arrows for much of it. We will do our level best to mark the course thoroughly and will have marshals stationed at key points along the course. However, it is possible for signage to be moved/tampered with. Please keep your wits about you and if on the day you notice that signage has been moved, please alert a marshal ASAP.
We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the route and/or have a map of the course/gpx file available on your phone in case (see below in 'recommended kit').
Livestock: There are likely to be some cows just after 'Betty Mundy's Bottom', when going through the Preshaw estate. They are a docile breed, which is permitted to be on public rights of way. Please see 'Walking or running through cattle' . Please ensure that you close any gates after you.
COURSE CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDED KIT:
We are keeping a close eye on the weather in the run-up to the event. We will take what we're given on the day, except perhaps any named weather systems!
We will NOT be carrying out a kit check. It will be your responsibility to make sure you are equipped for the weather on the day and the likely conditions.
Mandatory equipment:- Mobile phone, fully charged, with event mobile numbers saved. Event admins: 07724393245 (Carlos) or 07888197038 (Simon).
- Head-torch - if going to be out later than 4pm!
- Visible race-number - please ensure your race number is visible to marshalls
Depending on the conditions on the day and distance, any of the following could be advisable:
- Waterproof jacket and trousers.
- Spare warm layer e.g. fleece.
- Visible clothing (try not to look like a ninja).
- A bottle/flask/bladder to carry water (we are trying to go cup-less as much as possible).
- Suitable (comfortable) footwear for muddy/trail conditions.
- Downloading the route GPX onto a watch or phone using an app such as 'Viewranger' or OSMaps.
- Hat/buff.
- Gloves.
- Plastic bag/dry bag to keep stuff dry.
- That favourite food, that they won't have at the checkpoints...to cheer you up :).
- A sense of humour!
SPECTATORS
Spectators are welcome at various points on the route. Below is where we'd recommend:
- Start / Finish: New Road cricket field, Swanmore Village by primary school/shops, and anywhere in between.
- Beacon Hill car park: Please approach from Beacon Hill Lane NOT from Exton.
- Meonstoke (Meon Hall checkpoint): ample parking here.
- Winchester Hill (Winchester Hill checkpoint): some parking here.
- Droxford: next to village hall.
- Top of Limekiln Lane: next to Butser Hill car park. (40 milers only)
- Sustainability Centre: (40 milers only).