Where is it?
Birches Valley Forest Centre at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, WS15 2UQ. The What 3 Words location is here. It is managed by Forestry England.
Parking is up to £10 for the day. You can pay by card or coin.
The nearest train stations Rugeley Trent Valley, and Rugeley Town, are both approximately 2 miles away
What’s a 6 hour event?
I’ve made a short video here to try to explain a little.
It is an event that enables all abilities of runner to run together (or hike/walk!). Ultimately you can run as many 5k laps as you wish in the time limit. You can run one lap in 20 minutes, pick up your medal, flapjack and beer and go home! Alternatively you can head out on your 15th lap at 14:55 and finish in 6:30 having covered over 50 miles! It’s completely up to you.
There is no pressure from us, but we’ll also see if you want one more lap! The format is great for people looking to run further than they’ve ever done before, do a long training run for future events or to enjoy a sociable event with your friends.
Cani-X friendly? But I thought you didn’t allow dogs?
We didn’t! However we are running some test events over the winter at suitable venues for cani-x. Check the rules for running with a dog here but we’re hoping it will be a success!
We’ve got a special entry for cani-x runners (on the enter here link above) and your dog will of course get their own medal.
Course description
The course is brilliant! It's hilly, with 1 large incline and lots of rolling hills but the views and scenery is spectacular. The route follows the established 5k fixed running route. Conditions under foot are generally good as the pathways are well established. Some of the pathways are quite stony though so ultra thin shoes aren't recommended.
What does it cost?
We operate a tiered pricing approach. The earlier you enter, the cheaper the event but never ever will you pay a booking fee!
Before 19/09/2023 £32
After 19/09/2023 £37
Unaffiliated entrants pay £2 extra. Why not join your local running club or sign up the Big Bear Brigade and save 10% off entries for ever!
How far is the race?
You decide! The 3.3 mile off-road loop means your race can be 5k or over 50k and anywhere in between. You decide how many laps you're going to do on the day within the 6-hour time limit. If you're looking to cover a marathon distance you'll need to complete 8 laps and a half marathon will be 4 laps.
I’m unsure what to expect at a 6 hour event?
We’ve made some videos to try and help newcomers understand Big Bear Events and 6 hour events a little more here. We’ve got lots of videos on our You Tube channel that might help you see what we’re all about!.
I’ve heard you do nice medals. What will it look like?
We used to like a surprise but actually it’s nice to know what you’re running for! This was our medal from previous years an d we’ll have a new design for 2023…
I’m not that fussed by a medal, drink and flapjack…
In that case our partnership with Trees Not Tees may be of interest! When you sign up to this event you can select to have no finish line swag and instead we’ll donate the cost of this to Trees Not Tees who will plant a tree in their Scottish woodland on your behalf! You can find more info about this initiative here.
Is there a gpx of the route?
The route gpx can be found here. The route may be subject to last minute changes and there will be plenty of markings up on race day so you do not need to have this - but I know some of you like to anyway!
