The Jockey Club has teamed up with Reach, the UK’s largest publisher, and Hollicom Events to launch a new initiative giving people the chance to run around Cheltenham Racecourse, home to the most famous Jumps racing festival in the world. 

As well as staging a mass participation running event around the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup track on September 8th 2019, two other events will be held at Aintree Racecourse (September 8th) and Newmarket’s Rowley Mile (October 20th) – home to the Randox Health Grand National and the QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

The events will form the Classic Run Series, giving thousands of runners of mixed ability the unique opportunity to complete circuits of the iconic racecourses with each ‘festival of running’ including a Classic 10km Run, Junior Run and a Family Mile event.

Elite and club runners will also be able to compete for prize money in next year’s three-race series, with long distance running legend Liz McColgan and her double Olympian daughter Eilish both signed up as Classic Run ambassadors.

Anyone interested can sign up for the runs at theclassicrunseries.co.uk.

Paul Fisher, Chief Executive of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “We’re delighted to help stage the Classic Run Series at three of Britain’s most iconic racecourses. We’re better known for some of the world’s greatest racehorses running at our tracks, but this is a fantastic opportunity for thousands of runners from all over the UK to follow in their footsteps and experience what it’s like to run past the huge grandstands of Cheltenham, Aintree and Newmarket.

“It’s a great initiative which will introduce a whole new audience to our racecourses and give them the chance to understand and get a better feel for our sport.

“We’re also looking forward to welcoming our friends at the Gloucestershire Echo, the Liverpool Echo, Cambridge News and all the 100 Reach newsbrands across the country to this fantastic new partnership.”

Eilish McColgan, a European 5,000 metres silver medallist, added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Classic Run Series as a brand ambassador at these brilliant new events. Runners are always on the look out for a different kind of experience.

“The Classic Run Series will be just that. I’ll be taking part myself. There is good prize money too for elite and club runners signing up for the series.”

Simon Fox, CEO of Reach, added: “The launch of the Classic Run Series presents us with a new opportunity to further engage with our customers in a different but relevant way. Increasingly live events are becoming an important channel for us to reach our readers in the communities where they live, work, shop and socialise. The Classic Run Series will also provide our advertisers with fresh commercial partnership opportunities. It’s a very exciting development for us and I look forward to joining our army of readers at the Classic Run Series next year.”

Mark Hollinshead CEO of Hollicom Events said: “The Classic Run Series is a unique set of innovative new running experiences for all the family. The centrepiece event at each racecourse will be the Classic 10km Run which will attract fun runners, fitness fanatics, fundraisers and club runners alike with each festival of running also including a Classic 5km run, Junior Run and a Family Mile event.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Reach and all their market leading regional newsbrands to create and deliver such an exciting series of events for their family of readers to take part in.

“The Jockey Club own and manage some of the top racecourses in England and it’s not every day you wake up and say I’m going to run past Becher’s Brook or jog down the Rowley Mile. Next year that opportunity will become a reality. We’re expecting thousands of runners to take part.”