Studland Stampede 2025 - Full Race Info
We are so excited to be welcoming so many of you back again this year, and to those of you that are new to the Stampede! We hope you have a lot of fun out there on the course and enjoy the beauty of Studland!
A BIG THANK YOU to the team at Studland National Trust for all their support, and to all of you that made generous additional donations towards maintaining Studland Bay and heathland for all to enjoy!
So, let’s get our trainers on for Sunday 5th October for the 10:30am start!!
FULL RACE INFORMATION
Start Time
We aim to start the race at 10:30am. Please allow plenty of time to park and collect your running number, especially if you are crossing on the ferry.
The ferry leaves from the Sandbanks side: on the hour, at 20 past the hour and at 20 to the hour. (We recommend not relying on catching the 10:00am ferry if at all possible, as this can lead to you missing the start of the race if the traffic is heavy or if the ferry is full.) If you are approaching from Sandbanks, the ferry company charge £5.40 per car, each way (Another great reason to car share if you can).
Registration, Chip Timing & Race Numbers
Registration will be open from 9:00am
Disposable Race Timing Chips will be attached to the back of your running number - these will be issued on the day at the registration desk, in the Race Marquee (not by post). Your race number will be in the envelope with 4 safety pins. It needs to be secured to the front of your running top. This is important should a runner require first-aid and also helps our marshals distinguish who is taking part in the event. Any runner crossing the finish line without a Race Number will not be recorded in the race results.
Staggered Start:
Start time is 10:30am. However we will be staggering the start (as in previous years) to give runners more space.
Which are you?:
RACE HORSE - WAR HORSE - SHOW JUMPER
We will have 3 groups of approximately 150 runners. Race Horses will set off, with War Horses 30 seconds after, followed by the Show Jumpers 30 seconds after them. We would prefer to let runners position themselves, and hope that it gives every runner a good opportunity to find their pace.
Your time starts when you cross the starting mats.
Location
The race will start and finish on the sand next to the National Trust visitors centre at Knoll Beach Car Park, Studland, Dorset. There is a cafe and toilet facilities by the car park. To view a map of the location, please take a look at our website.
If you are using a SatNav the closest post code is BH19 3AH, but please be aware that this will not take you directly to the car park - you will need to keep your eye out for the sign off this main road directing you into the Knoll Beach National Trust car park.
Refreshments
The National Trust’s main cafe will open from 9:30am. They have a very nice breakfast menu, so could be a nice plan for any family and friends that have come to support you.
Parking
Knoll Beach car park gates will open from 08:30am. This is a National Trust car park and a pay & display machine is in operation. The car park is free for National Trust Members but you still need to scan your membership card at the pay machine. If you are not a member, please get a ticket at the pay and display machines. The car park is £3 for 1 hour, £6 for 3 hours, £9 all day (charged by the National Trust to raise funds for their charity). You can use the paybyphone app or pay by card.
If you are interested in joining the National Trust take a look here to find out more:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/membership
Bag Drop
We kindly ask all runners to please lock any belonging inside your vehicles if possible. If you are cycling or running to the Stampede (we know there is a few of you) then we will be very pleased to take care of your bag whilst you run. Please collect a paper tag from the registration marquee, write your race number on it, attach it to your bag and hand it over to our bag drop volunteer.
Cupless:
The Studland Stampede is a cupless event. Please bring along your preferred drinking vessel. Our volunteers will be approximately half way with water and help you fill your race cup or refill your water bottles.
The Course
The route is marked with bright yellow markers and a back runner will follow. To view a map visit our website.
http://www.studlandstampede.co.uk/route-map/
We starting on the sea front and head along the sandy beach towards Old Harry Rocks. Runners are soon diverted off the beach and up a steep slope up to Middle Beach car park, then along a path that runs around the edge of the car park. You will be directed onto the road and asked to stay to the right. Very soon you will enter a tree-lined path ‘the Coombe’. At the end of this path you will be assisted across the road. From here you turn left and follow Wadmore Lane.
Half way down the lane you will see clear signs directing you to turn left, along a muddy path and up onto the heath- land, eventually looping around bringing you back towards Agglestone Rock.
The run then heads North and follows heath-land paths towards the ferry; passing the water station at approximately half way. Another road crossing and you will enter the sandy tracks, which lead towards the beach.
From here you head South and follow the beach all the way to the finish line, back at the National Trust Visitor Centre.
Warning – Naturist Beach
For those of you that are not familiar with Studland Beach, we pre-warn you that the course runs through a small section of naturist beach. If we have good weather in October (and even if it’s bad weather), be prepared for a few bare bodies.
Dogs
Unfortunately we cannot allow runners to run with their canine friends. (If you wish to run the route with your dog unofficially before the start of the race, the course markers will all be in place but please be aware that there are road crossings and you are running at completely your own risk.)
Headphones/Music
We work hard to make the Stampede as enjoyable as possible for every runner. To this end we do not want to have to ban headphones/music at the event, but we strongly ask anyone that does decide that they can’t do without it, please have consideration for the runners around you. It would be advisable not to turn your music on until you get out onto the heath land so that you can concentrate fully during the busy first mile and road crossing. Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation.
Prizes and Goodie Bags
Every runner that crosses the finish line will receive the bespoke wooden Studland Stampede medal and a finishers Goodie Bag.
Results
Chip Timing (supplied by the excellent Race Timing Solutions) will enable us to post the race results on our website immediately after the event. All the results from previous years can also be found on our website.
http://www.studlandstampede.co.uk/results/
Cut Off
Although we do not have an official cut off time for the Stampeded, we do have certain time restraints to work within. It is unusual for runners to finish outside of 2 hours, so we therefore ask participants to think carefully before entering the Stampede if they have no experience of running. It is a tough route, and some training would be sensible practice. Thank you very much for your understanding, and I hope this encourages, rather than deters, novice runners to get their trainers on and discover what their bodies are capable of!
Runners that reach the water station (approx. halfway) after 1hour 15mins will be offered a lift back to the Start/Finish area.
Photos
Hopefully we will have a wonderful volunteer taking some snaps this year. If we do, we will be sure to post them all on our Facebook page for you to enjoy.
Massage
Local experienced physiotherapist Kate Thorp will be overseeing a team of local soft tissue and sports massage therapists. For a donation, they will be ready and waiting for runners crossing the finish line.
Studland Sauna and Willow Foundation
The lovely Studland Sauna folks have once again donated their beautiful 6 seater sauna for our Stampeders to use on race day.
We will be collecting donations for Willow Foundation in return for a quick blast in the sauna. Suggested donation of £5 would be very gratefully received, but any amount smaller or bigger will all help go towards this great course.
All donations will go to the Willow Foundation: https://www.willowfoundation.org.uk
Studland Sauna also have a new 12 seater sauna, that they will be taking bookings for if anyone fancied reserving it with their friends.
https://studlandwatersports.co.uk
Volunteers
Each year we have some really wonderful people volunteer at the Stampede and we couldn’t organise it without them. When running past a volunteer please give them a smile, nod or even a ‘thank you’ if you are not suffering too much.
Purbeck Trail Series
The Studland Stampede is very proud to be part of The Purbeck Trail Series. Other events in the series are:
https://purbecktrailseries.wixsite.com/purbecktrailseries
This year the Purbeck Trail Series Winners will be announced at the Blue Castle Run, taking place on the 9thNovember.
Announcements will also be made on the PTS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PurbeckTrailSeries
Questions?
Please email victoria.turner@studlandstampede.co.uk or call 0796 723 6650 if you have any further questions and please like our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with our latest news:
https://www.facebook.com/StudlandStampede
We are very excited about seeing you all on the beach!
Victoria, Julie and all the Stampede Crew!