DovedaleDash
The famous cross country race in thorpe, dovedale since 1953
THE DOVEDALE DASH IS A CROSS COUNTRY RACE OF 43/4 MILES. THE DASH IS AN EXPERIENCE YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT FIND ANYWHERE ELSE..TOUGH, FUN, FANCY DRESS, SERIOUS RUNNERS, MUD, WET, COLD, A GREAT EXPERIENCE!!
AFTER A MASS START FROM THORPE PASTURES, DOWN HILL. EVERYBODY TRIES TO GET INTO LIN DALE FIRST. BE CAREFUL, DON'T FALL! THEN IT IS OVER THE STEPPING STONES OR BETTER THROUGH THE RIVER DOVE. THE RIVER DOVE IS ONE OF THE COLDEST RIVERS IN THE UK!
THEN TOWARDS ILAM THROUGH FIELDS (AND MUD), OVER THE ILAM BRIDGE ALONGSIDE THE MANIFOLD RIVER TO COLDWALL BRIDGE. AFTER CROSSING COLDWALL BRIDGE BACK THROUGH THE MUD (AND FIELDS) ALONG THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER DOVE.
THEN THE TOUGHEST PART, UP HILL THROUGH LIN DALE TO THE FINISH WHERE MANY SPECTATORS ARE CHEERING ON THE FINISHERS
- FIRST AID IS PROVIDED BY RED CROSS
- THEIR CARAVAN IS NEAR THE FINISH SHOULD YOU NEED ANY HELP
- THEY HAVE A ROUGH TERRAIN AMBULANCE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING ALL PARTS OF THE ROUTE
- THE MARSHALS ARE IN CONTACT VIA RADIO WITH THE START / FINISH AREA AND CAN SUMMON HELP IF REQUIRED
MAIN RACE MAP
- FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF OUR MARSHALS
- WE ARE AIMING FOR CIRCA 1500 RUNNERS. IF WE ARE HEAVILY OVERSUBSCRIBED WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO LET YOUR RUN.
THE LAST YEARS WE HAVE BEEN OK, BUT COME EARLY - THE START WILL TAKE PLACE AT 11:00 AM PROMPT. WAIT FOR THE START SIGN OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED
- PEOPLE WHO CLIMB THE FENCE ON TO THORPE CLOUD WILL BE DISQUALIFIED
- please respect the farmer's fences, gates and livestock. gates are opened around the course. if there is a queue, please wait. do not trample down fences or hedges to get through. there may be barbed wire in these and people have been injured in the past, quite apart from the annoyance to the farmers at having to repair their boundaries
- THERE IS GENERALLY A RUSH FROM THE START. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE IN THE FRONT OF THE FIELD, AS THERE IS A RISK OF THEM BEING TRAMPLED
- U12'S ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE MAIN RACE, THEY CAN DO THE CHILDREN'S RACE
- PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND IT IS BEST TO STAY CLOSE TO THE YOUNGER CHILDREN GOING THROUGH LIN DALE AND WHILST CROSSING THE RIVER DOVE
- BEWARE OF THE STEPPING STONES. THEY WILL BE SLIPPERY. IT IS OK TO GO THROUGH THE RIVER, BUT FOOTING IN THE RIVER IS UNCERTAIN TO SAY THE LEAST
- THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ROADS TO CROSS. MARSHALS WILL STOP THE TRAFFIC, BUT IT IS ALSO YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK FOR A SAFE ROAD CROSSING
- DOGS HAVE ALWAYS RUN IN THE DASH, BUT YOU HAVE TO START AT THE BACK AND BE CAREFUL NOT TO TRIP UP ANY RUNNERS SPECIALLY DOWNHILL FROM THE START. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DOG!
- THIS YEAR WE ARE USING A PROFESSIONAL TIMING SYSTEM FROM RACE RESULT. YOU WILL RECEIVE A BIB WITH YOUR NUMBER AND TWO CHIPS AT THE BACK. PLEASE DO NOT DAMAGE THOSE. AT THE FINISH YOU WILL CROSS A MATT THAT WILL RECORD YOUR TIME AND POSITION. YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE WHEN YOU EXIT THE FINISH AREA. PLEASE EXIT THE FINISH AREA QUICKLY TO AVOID A QUEUE FROM FORMING.
- FANCY DRESS IS ALLOWED, EVERY YEAR WE SEE SOME AMAZING CREATIONS
- AND WE HOPE YOU LIKE MUD, WE HAVE LOTS OF IT (USUALLY)!
- THE COURSE IS MARKED ON THE MAP ABOVE. THE GRID IS 1 KILOMETRE
- AND...TIE YOUR RUNNING SHOES REALLY WELL..WE FIND MANY SHOES IN THE MUD AFTER THE RACE
FIRST AID
This website is maintained by Erwin van Vroenhoven, any questions or comments please email us on enquiries@dovedaledash.co.uk
We have used photo's from our old website, if you have an issue with your photo appearing on this website, let me know and I will remove the photo(s)