 HelloFull steam ahead!Race day is nearly here - and we cannot wait to welcome you to the first Steaming Down The Valley since 2018. Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our first year of organising the event in a new 5k/10k plus paddlesports format. These are your final race instructions prior to race day on Saturday 6 June, so please take a few minutes to read it carefully. It includes important information about arrival, parking, registration, race numbers, safety, route arrangements, and what to expect on the day. The event has only been possible thanks to the support of Severn Valley Country Park, Severn Valley Railway, West Mercia Search and Rescue, our sponsors - Berriman Eaton, The Three Horseshoes Alveley, Safeline Environmental, Alveley Village Vets, River Severn Canoes and SEAH - and our volunteers, marshals and of course, everyone who has signed up to take part. Thank you! Funds from the event will support West Mercia Search and Rescue, who are providing first aid cover across the course, Severn Valley Railway, and Severn Valley Country Park. As this is our first year, we are incredibly grateful for your support, patience and enthusiasm. Have a brilliant race, enjoy the setting, soak up the steam, and we will see you on the start line. Thanks, Race LocationEvent HQ: Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley, Bridgnorth, WV15 6NG Registration opens at 9am. Please follow event signage and marshal instructions when you arrive. Event HQ will be the main point for registration, information, welfare, presentations, and any on-the-day queries. Parking will be available at Severn Valley Country Park. You will be directed into the Country Park's field, off Chapel Lane, Alveley, and exit later by driving out via the access road. Follow parking marshal instructions on arrival and departure. Please be patient! Parking is available for a suggested cash donation of £2 to the Country Park's volunteer group, payable on entry to the car park, which helps fund improvement works across the park. Once you're parked up, head downhill to the Country Park Visitor Centre where you will sign in and collect your race number. Facilities available at the Country Park include toilets, plus No92 Coffee Lounge for any pre-race refreshments. Facilities at Event HQ
Key timingsPlease allow plenty of time to arrive, park, register, use the toilets and get to your start or launch area. The event timetable will run to time where possible.
Registration, race numbers and timingThe 5k and 10k races are chip-timed. Race numbers will be collected on the day from Event HQ at Severn Valley Country Park. Paddlesports is gun-timed. Please bring safety pins if you have them. We will have some available, but bringing your own helps avoid a pre-race scramble for the last four pins in Shropshire. Your race number must be worn on your front and clearly visible throughout the event. Please do not fold, cut or obscure it. Please complete emergency contact details on the reverse of your race number. Your emergency contact must be someone who will be available on race day. Entries are personal to the named participant. Please do not give your place to someone else unless the transfer has been agreed and processed by the event team in advance. Race-specific information
Start locationThe 5k and 10k races start at the Country Park Halt - a small stop on the Severn Valley Railway line within the Country Park. From the Visitor Centre, follow the path downhill, cross the Miner's Bridge over the River Severn, turn right and head up the hill towards the station. The paddlesports race starts at the iconic Miner's Bridge, the main crossing over the River Severn. The courseThe running races at Steaming Down The Valley take place on the Severn Way, a public right of way running alongside the River Severn. The 5k, 10k and paddlesports routes all make the most of the Severn Valley setting, with riverside views, railway atmosphere and a proper sense of place. In the spirit of trail running each of the routes are a little longer than 5k and 10k at approximately 5.8k and 11.4k respectively. You can see the 5k route on Strava here and the 10k route here. The 10k route has been updated and is now a simpler out-and-back course alongside the River Severn. This change was made for safety reasons after a section of the original return route was assessed as unsuitable for race day. Please follow the signed route, listen to marshals and do not leave the marked course. Some sections may be narrow, uneven, muddy or slippery depending on conditions. One field between Highley and Arley is currently being used for arable farming. The landowner has asked that participants stay as close to the marked footpath as possible, keeping to the edge of the field nearest the riverbank, to avoid trampling the crop. Please leave no trace and help us protect access for future events. Roads and public areas may still have other users present. Please be aware of people around you and take extra care at crossings, pinch points and any riverside sections. If you feel unwell, injured or unable to continue, stop and speak to the nearest marshal. If you see another participant in difficulty, please alert a marshal as soon as possible. ARLEY STATION - IMPORTANTArley station will be a busy point on the route, with 5k finishers, 10k runners turning around, and paddlesports participants making their way back to the train. Please listen carefully to marshals and follow the signed channels. On arrival at Arley, 5k runners should keep right and continue straight on towards the finish line. 10k runners should enter the station but keep left, turn clockwise around the marked cone/turnaround point, and return to the Country Park the way they came. If you're running the 10k - DO NOT enter the 5k finish funnel or continue into the yard - turn at the marked point and head straight back towards the Country Park. Paddlesports participants should follow marshal instructions after getting out, collect their medal/goody bag, and then make their way into the station area for the return train. CONTRAFLOW SECTIONSApproximately a kilometre from Arley on the approach to the village there is a stile before a wooded section. On crossing the stile and running into the woods it's important that you keep to the right - this section can be narrow in places and runners will be travelling in both directions. Be mindful of your surroundings. We've done our best to clear and widen paths but there will remain obstacles. The remainder of the route is either through fields wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic, or on sections where runners are unlikely to meet due to the timing of the race. Paddlesports participantsPaddlesports participants must arrive with their own canoe, kayak or SUP, plus suitable personal safety equipment, including a helmet and buoyancy aid. Please carry a mobile phone on you. Please take care when moving boats and equipment around the Country Park and at Arley. The launch area involves uneven ground, and the get-out must be kept clear for participants arriving from the river. You must attend the paddlesports briefing before launching. This will cover river conditions, start process, route, get-out arrangements and what to do if you need assistance. You will not be able to take 'hard' crafts aboard the train. Only inflatables, once deflated, will be able to be taken on board. You will need to make arrangements to return any canoes/kayaks from Arley. Return trains5k and paddlesports participants have a return train to the Country Park Halt (where races began) included in their entry fee. At Arley, use the perforated strip on your race number to exchange for a train ticket at the Arley station ticket office. You will receive a one-way, single ticket to Country Park Halt. If you wish to travel further, you will need to arrange this with the ticket office at your cost. Follow instructions from event marshals and Severn Valley Railway staff at Arley, and wait where directed until boarding opens. Train times from Arley towards Bridgnorth: 11:40am, 12:20pm, 1:13pm (terminates at Highley), 2:50pm. Finish area, medals and resultsAfter finishing, please keep moving through the finish area and follow marshal instructions. Do not cross the finish line more than once, as this can affect timing results. All finishers will receive their medal and finish-line items after completing their event. Results will be published after the event via the official results provider. Please allow the timing team time to process and check results before queries are raised. Free race photography is available, thank you to Nick Goodwin at Sportspics who will make images free to download to all participants following the event. We may use images for event promotion, future publicity and social media. If you have any concerns about photography, please contact the event team before race day. We will have a small prizegiving at approximately 1:00pm near registration. SpectatorsSpectators are very welcome. Please follow marshal instructions, take care around the route and be considerate of Country Park visitors, railway users and local residents. The Country Park and Arley should both offer good opportunities to support participants. Please do not stand in the course, obstruct runners, block the river get-out, or cross railway areas except where permitted. Bring your best cheering voice. Cowbells optional; enthusiasm encouraged. Weather and kitPlease check the forecast before travelling and dress appropriately for the conditions. For runners, trail shoes are recommended, especially if conditions are wet. The route may include uneven and slippery sections. For paddlesports participants, please come prepared for the river conditions and bring all required kit. If conditions change, the event team may issue further instructions before or on race day. Mandatory kit for paddlesports participants: suitable craft, helmet, buoyancy aid and phone. Headphones, dogs and other safety rulesAt all times, please make sure you can hear marshal instructions when needed and remain aware of your surroundings. If you are taking part in the paddlesports event, please keep an eye out for your fellow paddlers and contact a marshal if you or anyone gets into any difficulty. Dogs are not permitted to take part in any race. Supporters are welcome to bring dogs, but they must be kept on leads and away from the course, start, finish, launch and get-out areas. Updates and contactPlease keep an eye on your email and our social media channels for any final updates, especially if the weather or local travel situation changes. Website: https://www.steamingdownthevalley.co.uk Thank youThank you again for supporting Steaming Down The Valley. Wishing you a fantastic event - we'll see you on Saturday 6 June. |