Henty Relay

The Henty Relay Handicap was first conceived in 1966…

… by club member Chris Henty as a one-off event to fill a winter XC fixtures gap.

It might have remained just that had it not been revived in 1975 as a permanent fixture, appropriately named in honour of its founder. Delighted by its return, Chris donated a wooden Kiwi bird trophy to reflect the fact that he’d emigrated to New Zealand, where it has become a fitting symbol for the event that bears his name.

The 2026 Henty Relay will take place on Tuesday 21 July at 7:00pm.

The race consists of six laps of approximately 1.3 miles (2.1km) each, run clockwise around Sidmouth Woods. The start and finish are at the manhole cover located at https://what3words.com/hips.couple.spit.

Teams of three will be created by the handicapper from the list of entrants, typically comprising a fast, medium and improving runner to produce teams of broadly equal overall ability. The fast runner completes three laps, the medium runner two laps, and the improving runner one lap. The running order is entirely up to each team.

This event is open to runners of all ages and abilities. Under-11s must run with an adult.

Entry is FREE, and friends, family members and guests are very welcome to take part. However, everyone wishing to run must complete this form @ https://forms.gle/KfoYLKTJGdG6CRCA6 by 11:59pm on Saturday 18 July to give the handicapper time to work their magic:

Kindly note that no on-the-day entries are permitted.

Timings:
• 6.15pm: Team allocations & numbers @ top of Sidmouth Woods https://what3words.com/hips.couple.spit ⬅️
• If it rains, we may relocate to the clubhouse. This will be decided when we have a better idea of the weather on the day.
• 7pm: First runner from each team is set off; handover to teammates at the manhole.
• 8pm: Anticipated time all runners will come through.
• Results and prize giving at the start/finish; followed by drinks at The Fox & Hound after.

VOLUNTEERS

As always, we really need volunteers to help with time-keeping & numbers. So if you’re not planning to run, please consider volunteering to help out. Duties are very light, with lots of opportunity to cheer your friends along.

If you’re able to volunteer, please email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ⬅️