Cotswold Way Relay 2025
103 miles, 10 Stages, Off-road through the Cotswolds
Chipping Campden to Bath
2025 Race date Sat July 5 2025
Race entries are closed
click on the link below for the final team list
Cotswold Way Relay 2025
Welcome to the organiser’s pages for the Cotswold Way Relay 2025
The Cotswold Way Relay is in its 33rd year. It works as 10 back-to-back races, with each stage having a mass start at the expected arrival time of the 1st runner from the previous stage.. It starts from Chipping Campden in the early morning, using the way-marked route of the Cotswold Way, through to Bath in the evening. It takes in many hills, woodlands, fields, and tracks, all offering spectacular views of the countryside. The 90% off-road trail is split into 10 stages, varying in ascent and length, to offer a differing flavour for each runner in the team. Apart from a few busy road crossings there are no marshals, or additional markers, so route finding is all part of the spirit of the event. In recent years the Cotswold Way Authority has considerably improved the signage, as part of its upgrade to National Trail status. The race route follows the National Trail except for a couple of well indicated changes made for safety reasons.
Timing, athlete identification and route finding
Each stage is hand timed by a team of marshals. Your race number needs to be clearly visible on the front of your body as you finish the race. This enables both you and your team to be correctly identified. Take care not to obscure the number with a hydration vest and please do not pin it to your back or the side of your body. Please complete personal details on the back of the bib. We recommend that runners do a recce of their stage before the event. Maps of all the stages are on this website. Doing a recce is very enjoyable as well as ensuring you will not take a wrong turn on race day.
Traffic transport and route changes
To limit crowding and traffic at changeover points we limit the event to 100 teams. Please try to car share as much as possible. It is the volume of cars (100-125) parking at changeovers that limits the size of this race. We welcome teams both from established clubs and formed just for the event. Experienced team captains know that team logistics before and during the race are as important as speedy runners in experiencing a pleasant and successful event. This year we are well aware of major road works on stage 4 near the Air Balloon roundabout. The race day route will be whatever diversion is in place provided there is a safe one. The Changeover between stages 4&5 has been complicated by the closure of the Royal William Pub. This changeover will now happen in the middle of Painswick for the first time.
General safety: Water Animals and People
This is a trail race, and you should plan to carry water. How much you choose to start with, will be your own decision, based on the weather and knowing your own body. We have in the past tried to mandate fluid kit only to find this rule both gamed and unenforceable. We strongly recommend that all runners come to the start equipped with fluid carrying kit and make their own decision how much to start with. There will be refill water at start, half-way and at the finish. No disposable bottles!
General safety: Share the trail.
The trail has always had cattle and sheep to avoid but is increasingly busy with people. Last year a very speedy front runner collided with a walker in a charity group. It was raining on a slippy narrow downhill path. The walker, hooded, and unaware of the race, was knocked over by the runner who did not stop. There was no injury but loads of upset. Runners should give walkers and dogs a wide berth. They have no right of way. Runners should slow down passing walkers who can’t see them, stop if necessary and be polite at gates and stiles.
General safety: Cut Off Pacers
Team captains please do not accept runners who cannot manage 12 minutes per mile over hilly trails. The race does not provide tail runners: It provides pacers whose instructions are to finish the race a few minutes after the cut off time. They will instruct those who fall behind the pace that they will get awarded a cut off time but that they should phone their supporters or team captain to provide help. The finish marshals must move on to the next stage and cannot wait for starters that do not finish in time.
Volunteer participation.
We ask every team entered to provide one volunteer. There are individual roles such as marshalling, or for clubs with three teams, group roles such as a water station or a road crossing. One individual volunteer role will be a cut off pacer who each get finishers print and be credited with a cut off finish time towards King or Queen of the Cotswolds Plaque
Minimum waste
Some people value a race memento particularly if it is a useful item. Others simply throw away things like medals and get irritated if they receive an item of an unusable size or quality. Race directors and runners are increasingly bothered by waste. We will not be handing out T shirts, medals, or water bottles.
There are excellent and sustainable prizes: see prize menu above.
The End of Race Party.
We do excellent food drinks and prize giving after the event. Plan to come if you can. It would be great if there was at least one member from each team, so that prizes can be awarded with applause and don’t have to be posted later. See you at: The Old Crown. Crown Hill. Weston. Bath BA1 4BP
