THE RATHFINNY RUN 2025

Run through the breathtaking Rathfinny Wine Estate, the first grower-producer of sparkling wine in the world to become B Corp certified. The route will guide you through the beautiful vines via hilly trails and cambers with views of the South Downs National Park.

3WordRuns looks forward to hosting a 10.7k and Half Marathon at Rathfinny Wine Estate for the third year running.

The Rathfinny Run will be held on 21st April 2024 and is a UK Athletics licensed event. There are two distances around a hilly loop within the estate. You have the option of entering the single loop (10.7km) or double loop (21.4km). This wonderful yet challenging vineyard run takes place on the day after World Earth Day and raises money for local cancer charity, the WOLO Foundation. We are a carbon neutral event.

Data Protection
You agree that we may publish your Personal Information as part of the results of the Event and may pass such information to the governing body or any affilliated organisation for the purpose of insurance, licences or for publishing results either for the event alone or combined with or compared to other events. Results may include (but not limited to) name, any club affiliation, race times and age category.

ON RACE DAY

Race Location: The Tasting Room, Rathfinny Wine Estate, Alfriston, Polegate, BN26 5TU

Race HQ: Race HQ will be located at the start/finish point of the race, near the Tasting Room. Please follow the signs to the car park.

Toilets: There will be portable toilets available near The Hut by the car park with more toilets located near the start at The Tasting Room.

Bag Drop: You are welcome to leave your bag at the start, however this is done at your own risk and discretion. Drop bags will need to be clearly labelled with your race number and name.

TRAVEL

Car Parking: There are parking spaces at Rathfinny near the Cellar Door and Tasting Room for runners only. (What3words location: pill.lushly.strikers). Marshals will direct all cars into the car parking area, which will be open for arrivals from 08:30am. Please allow plenty of time to park and join the race. Car Parking is free for cars with 2 or more runners as per our car sharing criteria.There will be a charge of £10 for each car with single runner occupancy. This charge will be donated to WOLO.

Shuttle Bus: To help us reduce our environmental impact, we will be organising a free shuttle bus for runners only. There will be two different pick-up times at the station to get you to the venue and start line in time for each distance.The bus will run from Berwick station to enable runners coming from both sides of the county to get to the race in a carbon neutral way.

REFRESHMENTS

The Hut will be open from 08:30am providing a selection of hot and cold drinks and sausage rolls (vegan option). If you wish to stay for lunch, we recommend booking a table at the Tasting Room in advance via the Rathfinny website: https://rathfinnyestate.com/dine/tasting-room/

RACE START TIMES

Double Loop (Half Marathon): 10:15am  

Single Loop (10.7k): 10:35am

COURSE MAP ROUTE & TERRAIN

The route is an undulating 10.7km off-road trail through the Rathfinny wine estate with half marathon runners completing two loops and 10.7km runners completing a single loop. There will be distance markers every 2km. The elevation for each loop is approximately 330 metres.

The course is mainly trail with some hard track. You can expect it to be fairly bumpy with cambers and hills. If the weather is wet and inclement, then it is likely to be quite muddy so please choose the correct type of trainer. We will send out another email 3 days before race day to confirm.

HELPFUL RACE DAY INFORMATION

Runners to gather for Race Director briefing 10 minutes before race start times at What3words address: refrain.glare.stopwatch

Double Loop briefing at 10:05am

Single Loop briefing at 10:35am

We will be starting all races at the start/finish line adjacent to the Tasting Room (different to previous years). After each warm- up and race briefing you will be led to the start funnel (used fishing rope!) where you will line up to start. You will be mainly running on hard (muddy if wet) trails. Please take care and also be aware of any protruding tree roots especially through the wooded trail section which may cause a trip hazard. There are a couple of tight switchbacks and a few hills with two particularly tough!

There will be a coned area by the pumping station to highlight a gap in the track.

Recommended Footwear & Kit: We recommend light trail shoes if the weather is dry however if it is wet prior too or on the day then more robust trail shoes will be better. Please keep an eye on the forecast and dress appropriately for the conditions, bringing a spare set of clothes (and socks!) if needed. Please note, there are no changing facilities available at the site.

Litter: Please remember to NOT drop litter during this event, both on the course and at Race HQ. Bins will be provided so please hold on to your rubbish until it can be disposed of correctly.

Water & Aid Stations: We will supply a well-stocked water and banana station at the 5km marker and also at the start/finish line. Whilst we will ensure that this water station is generously supplied, runners should ensure they are fully hydrated and also consider carrying their own water. Please note, there will be no cups available so please bring your own foldable cup, water bottle or hydration pack.

Race Day Warm Up: There will be a five minute warm up before each race start supplied by GingerFit Personal Training.

Race Numbers: Your race number must be worn on the front of your shirt and not on your legs or back otherwise you may not receive an accurate time. Please make sure that you do not damage the chip as this will also impact your recorded race time.

Medical Information: Please remember to complete your medical information on the reverse of your number. This is a life-saving racing requirement for your own safety.

Your Health & Fitness: Before attempting to race we ask that you make sure you are 100% fit to do so. If you believe that you are not fit enough to take part in the race, please could we ask you to think about the serious effects that could possibly be triggered if you do so and return to racing when you feel fully fit.

Medals & Prizes: There will be recycled medals awarded to all finishers. In addition to the medals, we will also be awarding trophies to the 1st male and female in each distance. Rathfinny will also be donating a bottle of Sussex Sparkling wine to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd female and male runners in each distance. Prize giving and presentation will be as soon as winners cross the finish line.

Results: In line with current UKA guidelines, race results will be reported on gun time. Results will be available online as soon as possible after the race. A final set of confirmed results will be emailed to participants. 

CARBON NEUTRAL EVENT

This is a carbon neutral event and there will be no single use plastics in use on race day. We recently appeared in Damian Hall’s new book ‘We can’t Run Away from This’ and also appeared in Runners World Magazine as one of the best races in the UK to run in April.  As a co-founder of The Green Runners, it’s important for me to ensure that this race doesn’t impact on the local environment. The Green Runners mission is ‘Running without the footprint’ and has 4 pillars that determine what we do.

1. How we travel?

2. How we kit up?

3. How we eat?

4. How we speak out?

Find out more info about The Green Runners here www.thegreenrunners.com

We will be awarding recycled slate medals to all runners who complete the course and instead of a race t shirt we will be planting trees and shrubs within the estate to offset the carbon travel of the runners (target under 1 tonne of CO2e)

We will also be giving runners the opportunity to win (raffle) a (lite) Trainer Repair Kit to help extend the life of their trainers.

Reminder: We are a CUP-LESS event, so please ensure you bring your own cup or hydration option.

MARSHALS

The route will be clearly marked using large (black on yellow) route arrows and yellow rope on white poles as well as being marshalled throughout. Marshals for the event have kindly volunteered to help at the race from WOLO, Seaford Striders and local residents. Please give them a 'thank you' as you pass round. We ask that you listen and obey all marshal instructions. There will be a sweep marshal for each distance following the last runner to make sure that no one is left on the route. All marshals will remain in place until stood down by the sweep marshal for the relevant distance.

Where there is no mobile phone signal, all Marshalls will be given a radio to enable direct contact with Kirsty (Lead Marshall) and Medical Team Leader. All Marshalls will have foil blankets on them in case of runner injury/incident.

KIT SWAP SHOP

We will be operating a kit swap shop where you can bring along and donate old (but reusable) running kit for other runners to have or ‘swap out’ for other kit.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Photographer to be confirmed.

OTHER VISITORS

The route will not be closed to other visitors so there may potentially be other runners, bikers, walkers and dog walkers along the route. Please keep this in mind and exercise care whilst you are running. Also, please be aware of any faster runners that may be completing the double loop.

SOME RULES

Please note, that due to the race being held under UKA rules, running with dogs is strictly prohibited at this particular event. Anyone seen not adhering to these rules will be disqualified. Headphones and bone conducting headphones are permitted, but please have the volume low enough to hear marshal instructions.

FIRST AID

GLS Medical First Aid will be in attendance and will be located at the finish line for the duration of the race. Should you feel unwell at any stage of the race then please do not hesitate to flag down a marshal and arrange to be taken to the First Aid station where you will be well taken care of. If required, all marshals will have a foil blanket to keep you warm until a medic arrives. You will find a list of emergency contact numbers on the back of your race number for your information. Please also ensure that you complete your medical and emergency contact details on the reverse of your race number. This is a racing requirement.

SPECTATORS

We are delighted that spectators are now welcome to attend which means that your friends and family can cheer you on throughout the course and across the finish line. The best viewpoint is near the Tasting Room and The Hut where you will see the runners pass by from an elevated position.

All dogs MUST be kept on a lead.

CODES OF CONDUCT

We are also asking that you share our Spectator Code of Conduct with anyone who may be supporting you at the race. We are also asking all racers to observe our Participants Code of Conduct to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for everyone. Both of these documents can be found at the bottom of this communication.

ABOUT RATHFINNY WINE ESTATE

Rathfinny is a family-owned Wine Estate with B Corp status in East Sussex, established in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver. Once a working arable farm, the first vines were planted in 2010 and today Rathfinny comprises over 200 acres of predominantly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Rathfinny Wine Estate is located in the South Downs National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty in Southern England. It occupies the main part of Cradle Valley, on a south-facing slope close to the iconic Cuckmere Valley, just three miles from the sea and the famous Seven Cliffs, about half a mile south of Alfriston village. 

As well as being a stunning site, the Rathfinny vineyard is perfect for growing sparkling wine grapes: The light, thin, clay loam soils over chalk are free draining and very similar to the Champagne region of France. The chalk provides a ready source of water for the vines during the drier summer months. The warm semi-continental climate and long summer days ensure perfect ripening, and the proximity to the sea helps mitigate frost risk, a major problem in cooler climate vineyards in Northern Europe. 

ABOUT WOLO FOUNDATION

The Rathfinny Run raises money for the good work of the WOLO Foundation by offering 30 free spaces to runners who wish to raise money for WOLO.

The WOLO Foundation helps families living in Sussex through their cancer journeys. They support them by offering practical help and support to make their day-to-day lives easier. They work with local businesses and communities to offer families a wealth of services to support them through their diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

If you would like to find out a bit more about what they do, then please take some time to look at their website... www.wolofoundation.org If you would like to, then we would encourage our runners to raise as much as they can for this very worthwhile cause through additional sponsorship so that the WOLO Foundation can continue all of their wonderful work supporting families in Sussex who have been touched by Cancer.