For our Canicross event at Killerton we will have 5km and 10km races. The 5km route will be as with the normal trail races, the 10km route could be 2 x 5km laps, or 1 x 10km lap, depending on number of participants and marshals. If you can find a marshal for us then you can have a free race, the more marshals we get, the more likely we can run the full 10km loop :-)
What is Canicross - the short answer is that it runners who take part in events with their dogs. Like all sports there are serious racers and people who do it for fun, and just as with all Relish Races, all are very much welcome. Most dogs add an element of propulsion and this is allowed and encouraged.
The races, 10km and 5km, take part over the same course as the regular but start at 09:30 (approx) so that most runners should be finished by the time the regular runners catch them up. This allows human runners and canicross runners to have a more enjoyable time out on the course.
All racers need to have an insurance policy that allows them to race with their dogs, will fully cover them for any incidents caused to other races, other dogs and other runners whilst competing. This is a condition of signing up and is something the race is not able to provide. Please check carefully with your pet insurance companies that you are covered. Another option is to join a club, such as Wessex Canicross, and you will be covered to race under their policy (subject to the terms and conditions of that policy). We have also produced a set of rules for our races which can be viewed on the Event Information page which covers things such as racing etiquette.
If you are new to Canicross I would also suggest you get in touch with your local club, on Facebook there are many pages which are 'County' Canicross eg Canicross Somerset, Canicross Dorset and they are all super friendly, offer loads of advice and welcome people into the sport.
The races have a time trail start, one runner at a time, and our magic timing system will work out your race time by subtracting your finish time from your start time and posting it live to our website. This gives everyone lots of space and to negotiate the narrow passages and ensures the start line does not become an entangled mess of humans, dogs and leads!