The Hard Yard
Sat 20th Sept 2025
10k and 10 mile (16k)
Chilton Manor Farm
Chilton Candover
Hampshire
SO24 9TX
Entry Opening Jan 2025 *
Entry Opening Jan 2025 *
Welcome to The Hard Yard
The Hard Yard event is hosted with our friends at Chilton Manor Farm - back for 2025 we’re delighted to be hosting two superb routes. With a Race Check Silver Award in 2024 we have our eyes on Gold in 2025 - Join us for a great day on and off the trails.
The routes will start and finish on the historic 800 year old Yew tree-lined avenue, which gives stunning views and a straight finish.
As you cross the finish line, you’ll be cheered in by our friendly marshals, who’ll present you with your bespoke finisher medal and a warm welcome. After the race enjoy coffee and great food from the Pop Up Cafe or grab a chair, or straw bale and enjoy the views from the avenue.
10k Trail Run
10 Mile trail run
Dog friendly (No canicross event in 2025)
Amazing finish line views
Relaxed vibes
The youngest age for entry is 15 for the 10k and 18 for the 10 mile on the day of entry.
Two awesome routes
100% Trail*
10k - The Yard
Get ready to embark on a captivating 10k trail running adventure! This route starts at Chilton Manor Farm and leads you onto scenic trails towards Preston Candover, offering early views across the rolling landscape.
As you make your way along the trail, you'll encounter a section of the renowned St James' Way, adding a touch of history to your run. The path gradually climbs towards Breach Farm, rewarding your effort you’ll soon be on the return leg following the Wayfarers Walk, a classic section of open trail offering ample space and stunning views as you enjoy a thrilling downhill run. The final kilometer takes you under a leafy canopy, with undulating terrain that keeps you engaged.
Finish your run at the top of The Avenue, where you'll be treated to a remarkable view through the Yew Trees, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment and a deep appreciation for the trails you've conquered.
So, get ready to lace up your shoes and embrace this awesome trail running experience.
99% trail + 1% hard surface finishing straight.
Gravel tracks, shale paths, field sidings, and compact rural paths.
Strava distance records 10k
10 Miles
The Hard Yard
A treat for trail enthusiasts. Covering 10 miles, our route offers superb views and a testing hills that will get your adrenaline pumping.
From the start line, wide gravel tracks and a canopy-covered section lead you North toward Breach Farm. Enter Furzedown Wood for a stretch of single-track with stunning views towards Winchester and the South Downs.
Enjoy the downhill stretch into Brown Candover, a section of the Oxdrove Way and before heading into private land of Chilton Manor Farm, embracing the contours of Juniper Hill.
Finish strong with the ultimate home straight that fills you with a sense of accomplishment. You’ll see and maybe hear the finish line, a 1-mile tree lined finish.
A route that promises unforgettable views and an invigorating countryside adventure.
Gravel tracks, shale paths, field sidings, and compact rural paths.
1 mile Yew Tree lined home straight
Strava distance records 10 Miles / 16.09k
Spectating spots @blendedtrails
Follow a walking and spectating route for a leisurely 2 kilometers, allowing you to stretch your legs and enjoy the surroundings. You’ll have opportunities to cheer on the runners at the start of their races. Enjoy the scenic views, the fresh air, and the sense of community.
Route
GPX File
Event timings
Safety Briefing
9.50am All runners
Start times
10am - 10 mile
10.30am - 10k
Chilton Manor Farm is a family-owned & run estate in the heart of the Candover Valley. It provides a stunning location for our event.
The 800-year-old Yew Avenue forms a historic landmark in the area and is a superb and inspiring finishing straight. Spectators have a wonderful spot to cheer on their friends and family as they complete their final few hundred meters.
Silver Award 2024 - Race Check
Silver Award 2024 - Race Check
Sustainability
Shoe re-cycling
We support Jogon recycle, which aims to keep a million pairs of shoes out of landfills.
Please bring your old running shoes, clean and laces tied together and drop them off at our recycle pallet at race HQ.
Cupless water stations
All our water stations are cupless; this reduces event waste and is more hygienic. Please bring your bottles, cups, and water packs. Water stations on the race routes will be self-serve, but our cheery marshals will assist if needed.
Sustainable medals
All our event medals are sustainable, unique, and guaranteed to look great in your collection. To minimise waste, they are crafted by a small business just two weeks before race day.
Car sharing / travel
Connect with folk in our community social groups and organise a car share if you can.
Parking at the event will have a £5 charge per vehicle.
Tasty delights at the event Pop Up Cafe
Grab a coffee at the kiosk overlooking the finish line
Volunteering
A great way to be involved
If you enjoy the buzz of race day and the social aspect of being part of an event then volunteering is a great way to be involved.
We’re grateful to everyone that’s helped with our previous races and to those that continue to help us put on a great event. Without volunteers we would not be able to organise events, the support that we have is fantastic and is a big part of the runners’ experience of the day. If you would like to help we welcome the support and have various ways you can help on the day.
Event FAQ’s
What are the routes?
Both are superb trails made up of tracks, gravel, and pathways with plenty of open space and the occasional canopy-covered paths.
Both routes will be shared on Strava and OS with GPX files to download the week before race day. We will keep you up to date, and let you know when the route information is live online.
Please do not attempt to run these routes before the race, they include -private land, and we have exclusive access for race day only.
What should I bring?
We recommend trail shoes for both routes. Road shoes will most likely be suitable if the weather is dry in the lead-up to the event. Please keep a look out for our race updates via our social pages and Trail Mail.
Please bring a water bottle, soft flask, or collapsable cup to the event. Although there will be plenty of water we won’t be supplying drinks cups as we are working hard to minimise the impact on the environment.
What facilities will be available?
Chilton Manor Farm is home to The Yard Cafe with a selection of hot and cold food, drinks and cakes.
Toilets are open from 8am until 4pm, which will be close to the start and finish line.
We do not have a secure baggage area on site; please leave your non-essentials in your car.
What are the youngest ages for entry?
For the 10k it’s 15, and 10mile is 18.
Where is Chilton Manor Farm?
Chilton Manor Farm, Chilton Candover, Alresford SO24 9TX
The farm is near to Alresford, Alton, Winchester and Basingstoke.
Where do I register, and pick up my race number?
The venue will be open from 8am, race registration opens at 8.30am with briefing for both races at 10am.
On arrival at the venue please follow race signage to the parking. When parked follow signs to the Race HQ where you’ll see some Blended Trails flags, a check in desk and plenty of helpful folk and friendly faces. All you’ll need to register is your email with confirmation of race entry.
What’s included with my entry?
A sustainable finishers medal, designed especially for this event.
Race timing and live results
Race photography
Event medics
Water at the start, finish, and halfway on 10 mile route
Amazing support from the Blended Crew
Is there a cut off time?
Our 10k has a generous 2-hour cut-off.
The 10-mile has a 3-hour cut-off.
We have friendly tail run/walker marshals for both distances.
Is there parking?
Yes, there is event parking which will be £5 per vehicle. Please do car share where you can, we’re very keen to reduce the impact of our events on the environment. Car sharing can significantly reduce our individual carbon footprint.
Payment will be taken at the gate.
Are there any sustainability efforts with the event?
We’re committed to the Jog-on campaign to reduce the number of retired running shoes going to landfills. Please bring your old shoes to our event (and all our future events), so we can ensure they are recycled responsibly. Further information is below. We are also committed to sustainable medals, cupless water stations (no waste), and moving towards no race numbers (no waste).
Can I buy Blended merch at the event?
We’ll have a gazebo with some of the merch we sell. All products can be purchased online through our store Blended Threads. You’ll need to allow 10 days for delivery from the point of order so please order early if you’d like a race day T-shirt.
How can I get involved if I’m not running?
Our events (like all running events) are heavily dependent on support and volunteer help. We are very grateful for any help you can offer. Please click here to see how you might be able to help, and what we offer as a thank you.
Ticket entry policy & Transfers
At Blended Trails, we strive to keep our race entry policy straightforward and fair for everyone. When we close entries, it’s a firm cutoff. After this point, we have a lot of pre-race preparation to take care of, including organising course preparation and marking, race timing chips, medals, bibs, results pages, and more. As a small team, the weeks before race day are our busiest.
Our ticket sales are typically open for three months or longer, and we do our best to keep everyone informed through emails and social media updates. Once we close entries, they remain closed. We kindly ask that you don’t reach out asking to purchase a late ticket.
For the same reason, we don’t offer on-the-day entries. Adding last-minute participants is time-consuming and can delay everyone else's registration process. It also requires one of our valuable volunteers to handle the extra admin.
Similarly, if you need to transfer from one race distance to another or want to transfer your ticket to someone else, please make sure to do this before entries close. Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate transfers after the entry deadline. This helps us manage everything smoothly as we prepare for race day. Thanks for your understanding!