Race Against A Train!

Jon Brown (manager of Golden Lion), Sarah Fortune (Shropshire Council Outdoor Partnerships Team) and Charlotte Holden (Holdens Brewery)

There’s a new running event where you can have a go racing a stream train! Shropshire Council, StuWeb Events and Severn Valley Railway are organising the race called ‘Steaming down the Valley’ on the evening of Thursday 28th June. The off-road route will follow the Severn Way between Severn Valley Country Park and Arley Station, a distance of around 3.5 miles.

The Golden Lion pub in Bridgnorth, owned and managed by Holdens Brewery, has sponsored the new running event meaning that runners can enjoy a refreshing pint of Holdens Golden Glow after racing a steam train down the Severn Valley!

Edward Andrews of Shropshire Council said, “This stretch of the Severn Valley is a great area for running, being traffic-free and scenic. Runners will also get a bonus one-way steam train ride. I would urge people to enter early to avoid disappointment”

Lewis Maddox of Severn Valley Railway said, “The team on the Railway are very excited about this event. It is the first time that one of our engines has raced a group of runners and it should be a closely-fought battle”

The entry price for the event is £20 and that includes a wonderful chip-timed trail run against the train, parking at Severn Valley Country Park, a medal, goody bag, 1-way steam train ride and a burger and beer. Runners can enter online at www.stuweb.co.uk/race/1Qt or can visit the event webpage at www.steamingdownthevalley.com

There will be two heats (one starting at approximately 7pm and one starting at around 8pm) and registration is at Severn Valley Country Park in Alveley.