Isle of Wight Festival of Running
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Isle of Wight Festival of Running
The Isle of Wight Festival of Running is a week-long sporting event located in the western part of the island. The festival features a variety of circular cross-country, trail, and road routes that take participants past local landmarks, including cliffs, coves, and a stately home. The event is organized by the West Wight Sports and Community Centre and serves as a significant gathering for the local running community and visitors.
The festival program includes several distinct distances and terrains:
- Needles Half Marathon: A trail route along the coast from Colwell Bay to Totland Bay, crossing the heathland of Headon Warren to The Needles. It continues over Tennyson Down to the Tennyson Monument before descending through Freshwater Bay and Afton Marsh.
- Tapnell 10k: A summer route starting from Freshwater village, passing through the rural countryside and fields of Tapnell Farm, and returning via Gift to Nature land.
- Freshwater 5K: An off-road course that passes Farringford, the former home of Alfred Lord Tennyson, while skirting Tennyson Down and Afton Marshes.
- Junior Fun Run: A shorter run held in the fields adjoining the West Wight Sports & Community Centre.
Participants can access various road, trail, and cross-country routes throughout the week. The courses utilize a mix of surfaces, including gravel tracks, woody paths, grass, and marshland. The event center is located at Moa Place in Freshwater. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
