A FARM near Basingstoke is set to host a trail running event next month, featuring open fields and woodland pathways accompanied by countryside scenic views.

Dummer Down Farm is hosting the races on April 15.

Organised by local trail running events group Blended Trails, the farm will host two races – a 10k and a 5k.

Open to all runners, the races start and finish at the farm.

Following on from Blended Trails’ first two successful events, founder Oliver Steele-Perkins said: “We’ve enjoyed crafting the race routes and are grateful to the local landowners who’ve listened to and supported our ethos by giving us access to sections of private land.”

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Dummer Down Farm is owned by the Ferguson family since 1953 and is now a base for several businesses, including The Dummer Cricket Centre, The Honesty Café and the farm’s latest venture, Dummer Down Brewery and Tap Room. 

Blended Trails came about after Ollie realised that many people weren’t confident about finding local trails or thought running started and ended on roads. So, during the lockdown, he started setting up signposted routes with a Strava digital route map,  so people could run or walk when it suited them.

The free pop-ups, as they became known, are still set up on average once a month for runners to explore, often with a social run held on its first day.

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Ollie said: "We plan and share our pop up routes as often as we can, it was a 10k pop up that started the ball rolling with Andrew and Florence, and we’re delighted that we’re co-hosting the Dummer Down Trail Races, which we’re planning to be an annual trail race event.

"Dummer is a small village, and introducing people within the Blended Trails group to the local businesses based at the farm is a win-win; that’s what communities are about."

Both routes start with a gentle climb from the farm, then weave through Walkers Copse and around the edge of The Dell, namesake of the 5k.

All events details at Dummer Down Farm can be found on their website and social media pages at dummerdownfarm.com