National Trust Night Running Series

An exciting new national series of night-time trail running events will soon be taking place at 12 National Trust locations in England.

The series will take place between October 2014 and April 2015 and will be hosted in some of the most beautiful and unique locations that the National Trust look after. So why not join in and run around the gardens of a Tudor Manor House or explore Ancient Woodlands by night?

The events will appeal to everyone from families looking to explore at night to seasoned runners wanting to experience something very different. All the routes are 100% traffic free and are mostly on paths and trails rather than tarmac. The events will brighten up your winter and get your senses working as you discover new landscapes.

It’s all about exploring the National Trust's special places at night, but don’t worry, you don’t need a map and compass as the routes will be well marked and marshalled. The events will be fun, social and all about the outdoors with very much a local twist. Some events will have mulled wine at the finish and local sausage baps while others will be linked to themes like Halloween. Checkout the specific events for details.

The events will all be held in the dark, with participants being set off in waves using head torches to follow the trails. This is a unique opportunity to see some of England's most beautiful places at night when they are usually closed, explore the hidden trails and see these special places in a new light.

With 12 special locations all around the country you won’t have to travel too far to experience the buzz of it. The series really will offer something very different this winter so why not join up with colleagues, friends and family and explore together somewhere new? As part of the series we will be offering special night time activities such as night time nature walks, guided tours of our houses and family activities for spectators (please check specific events for details).

There are two main route lengths:

Short (explore): These routes will be between 1km and 2km in length and ideally suited to families, walkers and those new to running. It will be a great first step into exploring at night and should take between 10 minutes and 30 minutes to get round. 

Long (adventure): These routes will be between 6km and 9km in length and ideally suited to people who want to challenge themselves. The challenge could be running at a good pace or completing your first ever run with a head-torch. You will need a reasonable level of fitness but these routes will still suit walkers, joggers and runners of all abilities. It will take between 30 minutes and an hour and a half to get round depending on ability. Due to the nature of the courses you will never be too far from the event HQ.

The booking page is now live at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nightrun and the first event will take place at Osterley Park in London on 25 October!