Notice of Postponement of Eastbourne Trackstar Marathon, Eastbourne Trackstar Half Marathon, Bates Green Gallop and Twilight Chase to 2021 due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In this unprecedented situation with Coronavirus (COVID-19), we feel the risk is too high to host Eastbourne Trackstar Marathon, Eastbourne Trackstar Half Marathon, Bates Green Gallop and Twilight Chase. It is with great sadness that we postpone these events until 2021.

While the national picture is certainly improving and we emerge from lockdown, as it stands all competition licensed by England Athletics, UKA and the Trail Running Association remains suspended until at least 31st July 2020.

There is no guarantee that this date will not be extended again.

We have received no guidance from England Athletics, UKA or the Trail Running Association on how we should operate post lockdown.

Our events are based around a lot of social interaction, we would rather put on a fun, safe event that we’ve been able to plan within some guidelines, rather than rush to return for the sake of it.

As events proved during the winter storms, we will do everything we possibly can to provide a safe race for our participants, volunteers, contractors, the public and ourselves. In this situation we cannot.

If you have entered any of the above races you will automatically be transferred to the 2021 event. We are unable to rearrange the events for later this year because a lot of mass participation events have already been moved into September and October. We wish to avoid double bookings. The events will now be held in May June and August of 2021. The exact dates are to be determined as we must work with our venues and suppliers who are also extremely busy right now. As soon as we can confirm the exact dates for 2021 we will.

There may be a possibility that we can transfer you into Winter Chase on 21 November 2020 – though we are unable to obtain a license for this event just yet so cannot take bookings.

We operate as a small business run by runners, for runners. This is absolutely heart-breaking for us to have to postpone events. We thank you for your understanding and are so sorry to disappoint.

FAQ

Please take a look at our frequently asked questions, we will not be responding to individual emails or social media regarding this matter at this time, as we are providing our latest information here. Further information will be communicated in the next formal statement.

How does the deferral work?

Your name will be automatically transferred to the 2021 event, you don’t need to do anything.

Are you issuing refunds?

No, we are deferring entries to the 2021 events. We cannot offer refunds due to the upfront costs of staging an event. As per our terms, in the event that a run is cancelled by us, we will look to re-arrange the event. We operate as a small business run by runners, for runners to provide unique, friendly events. To offer bulk refunds would likely mean that we would be unable to put on any events ever again.

What are the dates for 2021?

At this stage we cannot say. We have to work with a number of suppliers, who are all incredibly busy right now due to the current situation. We will issue a new statement once we know the exact dates.

Why 2021 and not later this year?

We’re runners. We understand you want to run every event you have entered. To move our events to a date later this year would almost certainly mean clashing with another re-arranged event as a lot of mass participation events have already been moved into September and October.

Can I transfer my 2021 place to another runner?

Yes, once the entry system re-opens, transfers to other runners will operate as normal through your Full On Sport account.

Can I enter/transfer to the Winter Runs?

The Trail Running Association is not currently issuing permits for any events at this time, so we are unable to open them. We will email cancelled participants if we are able to open Winter Chase.

Can I enter Trackstar or Bates Green Gallop for 2021?

Once we know the exact dates for 2021, we will re-open the entry system. We have to work with a number of suppliers, who are all incredibly busy right now due to the current situation. We will issue a new statement once we know the exact dates.