Line-up

Welcome and registration – 6pm

Sussex RunFest kicks off on Friday night with welcome and registration at The Hop Sun Taproom.

Kit swap and shoe recycling – all weekend

All weekend, we’re encouraging reuse and recycling. Drop off your running gear (clothes, equipment, books, etc.) or pick up something new. You don’t need to bring something to take something away! We’re also partnering with JogOn, who will recycle your old shoes responsibly.

Rave Run – 7pm

The RunFest Rave Run will turn Friday night into a fitness party! With a big portable sound system on the backs of our team, this run is all about fun, music, and community. We will enjoy great music, stop for games and team challenges on the way, and cover 5-6k at an easy pace. Outfits? Fancy dress is optional but highly appreciated – think disco!

After party – 8.30pm

Finishing back at The Hop Sun Taproom, the Rave Run leads straight into more great music and post-run fun.

Welcome and registration – 9am

Join us for a chat, coffee, and registration on Saturday morning as we get ready for a busy day!

Guided runs – 10am

Saturday gets moving with a choice of guided runs starting from The Hop Sun Taproom. Join passionate run leaders as they take us out for fun, engaging runs around Haywards Heath.

Highlights include a run led by James Cooper, whose session will focus on mental resilience, conquering hills, and how to keep going when things get tough. And he should know: James ran a marathon every day in 2024!

Classes and workshops – 11am

Across the middle of Saturday, look forward to a series of fun, practical, and energising events across town, learning from experienced experts as you go!

We’re thrilled that RunFest classes will include:

• Strength and conditioning classes led by instructors Stephen Luxton, Liam Murphy, and a coach from Madisons, focusing on the functional movements, power, and mobility that can help every runner move quicker, tackle hills, maintain their form when tired, and reduce the risk of injury.
  
• Run-focused yoga classes, hosted by Helen Davies-Pye and others at The Movement studio, exploring the mind-body connection and targeting areas that are important to – and sometimes overlooked by – us runners. These practical sessions will show how simple movement and stretching can reduce injury risk and improve mental wellbeing.

And we can’t wait for the insights we’ll get from sessions such as:

• Strength and mobility testing workshops with Karl Bevan and Iain Weavers from Six Physio, which will help you discover what it takes to become ‘bulletproof’ and test which movements and body areas you need to focus on to reduce your specific risk of injury.
  
• Foot and ankle health and shoe clinics with Steph Parsons, whose podiatry expertise will help you better understand both common and complex injuries and how to avoid them, what we should and shouldn’t be wearing (and when) and how we can do a better job of looking after some of our most important assets – our feet.

Please know: since these smaller sessions have set group sizes, we’re planning to use a first-come-first-served booking system.

Talks – 3pm

On Saturday afternoon, we’ll stop to catch our breath and sit down for some inspiring and informative talks. Hosted at the Haywards Heath Baptist Church, we're super excited that:

• James Cooper will be ‘in conversation', telling us about his successful Smilinggg 366 challenge to run a marathon every single day in 2024 as he fundraised for Samaritans. James – a health and wellness performance coach and ultra runner – will talk about his story, the mission behind Smilinggg, how he completed this incredible feat, and answer our questions in this exciting interactive session.
  
• Charlotte Ricca will host an insightful and practical talk on how we can reach our potential as runners. Founder of Kinda Brilliant Sport and Performance Psychology, Charlotte will combine evidence-based techniques, psychological research, and personal experience to show us how to perform under pressure, overcome setbacks, and set process goals as a key strategy to enhance mental flexibility and motivation.

Games – 5pm

As we finish the day and move into the evening, we’ll meet back at The Hop Sun Taproom. Expect to try your hand at the Wheel of (Mis)Fortune and other games, playing for prizes – or forfeits!

And of course, get ready for the big event: the Beer Mile relay! The format is simple: drink a fizzy drink, run a quarter mile, and change over. The fastest team wins! If that doesn’t sound tough enough, choose to go solo for a real challenge.

Everyone (including furry friends) welcome!

The RunFest Party – 6pm

Now, it’s time to kick back and settle in for a night at The Hop Sun Taproom! Soak up the festival soundtrack and enjoy fantastic craft beer, brewed on-site by Heathen Brewers.

Get ready for band Guilty Pleasures, playing rock, anthems, and all your favourite ‘guilty pleasures’! This high-energy four-piece band will bring us the best hits from Lenny Kravitz, Jet, Wheatus, The Offspring, and much more!

Welcome and registration – 8.30am

Join us for a well-earned coffee after a packed Saturday as we prepare for day three!

Summer Solstice – 9am

To celebrate the Summer Solstice, Sunday will start with a specially-designed run and yoga session led by Helen Davies-Pye and Clare Hastie. Starting from The Hop Sun Taproom, expect a gentle, friendly run up to around 7.5km, followed by a more restorative outdoor yoga practice, perhaps some intention-setting, and a coffee!

Workshops and talks – 11am

For Sunday, we’re still developing the schedule but we’re hoping to cover topics including:

• Mental health and wellbeing, including how important running can be to our mindset and how we can create more opportunities to talk about mental health in our community.
  
• Sustainability and the choices we can make to reduce the environmental impact of our sport, whether that’s through clothing and equipment choices, approach to travel, or the events we choose to join.
• Nutrition for runners, exploring the fundamentals of eating to sustain ourselves before, during, and after running – and what we should think about for our nutrition as runners in general.

We'll announce details on these as soon as we can. Check back for details! Or, if you'd like to help, get in touch!

Treasure Hunt – 1.30pm 

RunFest's big closing event is the Treasure Hunt, a thrilling chase across town. Starting from The Hop Sun Taproom and led by Andrew Strongitharm, this exciting run will ask teams to crack the clues sent to their phone and dash to the (hopefully correct) destination to unlock the next clue. First team home wins!

Children and dogs are welcome to join the Treasure Hunt.

The Unwind – 3pm

Let’s relax and unspool with some drinks and easy music at The Hop Sun Taproom as we reflect on an awesome weekend and close out Sussex RunFest.

Everyone (including furry friends) welcome!

Get involved

Would you like to help make Sussex RunFest happen? Learn more here!