Essex Way Relay 2026 – Teams and information

22 August 2026 - By Jodee Mayer

Runners

The teams are below – if you can no longer run, please let me know ASAP.

Team 35 Team 36 Team 37
Leg 1 Karen Flowers Celine Elson Dave Holditch
Leg 2 Steven Alder Mark Austin Simon Scott
Leg 3 Dean Whittaker Karen Pickering Nichola Beazley
Leg 4 James Attenborough Liz Atkinson Chris Beazley
Leg 5 David Jobling Clare Boston Graham Eyre
Leg 6 Chris Pugh Liz Stuckey Jessica Clark
Leg 7 Terry Alabaster Claudia Baba Steven Wherrett
Leg 8 Rachel Sharp Lisa Leader Lee Tooey
Leg 9 James Montgomery Annalise Etherington Ian Lucas
Leg 10 Jenny Layley Maxine Leech Sarah Naughton

It is recommended that runners join the individual leg WhatsApp groups, as leg organisers will provide updates and information in those groups. You can text Sally on 07939 109444, stating the leg you are running and she will add you.

Please make your own number (this just needs to have the number on, i.e., 35) and ensure it can be seen at start and finish. There are pre-made ones for downloading and printing here. Any issues with access please let me know. If anyone would like a race bib to write your number on, please contact me and we can arrange to get one to you.

On arrival at your start, find the leg organiser and get ticked off the start list.

I will be our team captain this year and I can be contacted on 07725 269270 in case of emergency or if you can’t finish your leg – I am not running a leg this year so can’t accidentally leave my phone at home.

The spirit of the Essex Way Relay race is friendly and cooperative and so runners are expected to help each other. As an example, if a runner sees another runner go off course, the expectation is that the runner will be called back.

Route

If you haven’t and don’t plan to recce your route beforehand, at a minimum you should have the route narrative printed (please see links below) or have downloaded the GPX file (available here), as this is self-navigating and there aren’t marshals or markers (other than the poppy Essex Way markers) along the way.

If you don’t have time to recce the route, don’t panic. There will be lots of other runners so likely you’ll see other runners about (presuming they are heading in the right direction).

In case you’d forgotten, the start and end point are not the same. In terms of logistics there are a couple of options:
  • Two cars, one car at each end of the leg – this is the most commonly used practice. Liaise with the other runners on your leg and drop one car at the start and one at the finish (though that does mean you have to wait for each other).
  • Do an out and back to give you a nice long run.

As you will have seen from the sign up post, the organisers have said that the leg recorders can stand down after a certain time after the start of the leg. This is not a cut off, and if you finish after the time stated below for your leg, you just need to text the leg recorder and Martin on 07960 045919 who will add you to the finishers list. Everyone finishing after the below time will receive the finishing position of the last runner to finish before the below time +1.

Distances and start times (approximate – and please arrive 15 minutes before the below times!) and other information below:

Leg Start location Finish location Distance Link for narrative Start time Stand down time Leg recorder phone #
1 Epping Station, CM16 4HW

///bills.speeds.shift

 Chipping Ongar, CM5 9AR

///sharp.double.bind

 7.5 miles Stage 1 8am 9.37 Jacob Stevens (ELR) 07766 664256
2 Banson’s Lane (opposite library), Chipping Ongar, CM5 9AR

///sharp.double.bind

 Good Easter, CM1 4RX

///quickly.myself.cupboards

 9.5 miles Stage 2  9am 11.03 Steve Birkett (Brentwood RC) 07747 845877
3 The crossroads near the rec, Good Easter, CM1 4RX

///quickly.myself.cupboards

 Little Leighs, CM3 1PQ

///sinkhole.magma.collide

 9.5 miles Stage 3  10.15am 12.18 Michael Groombridge (Pitsea RC) 07767 334198
4 Fishing Lake, Church Lane, Little Leighs, CM3 1PQ

///sinkhole.magma.collide

 Cressing, CM77 8PQ

///deflated.jingles.levels

 10.1 miles Stage 4 11.30am 13.40 Declan Evans (GFDR) 07551 343430
5 Cressing Parish Church, Cressing, CM77 8PQ

///deflated.jingles.levels

 Great Tey, CO6 1JY

///ruler.seagulls.operation

 9.4 miles Stage 5 12.45pm 14.48 Steven Alder (Witham) 07885 914327
6 The Chequers, Great Tey, CO6 1JY

///ruler.seagulls.operation

 West Bergholt, CO6 3DU

///spindles.trouser.scariest

 5.7 miles Stage 6 2pm 15.18 Mark Lawes (Tiptree) 07884 091841
7 Old Church, Hall Lane, West Bergholt, CO6 3DU

///spindles.trouser.scariest

 Dedham, CO7 6AA

///robots.nightcap.backpacks

 11.2 miles Stage 7 2.40pm 17.05 Adam Bright (Springfield) 07766 817337
8 War Memorial, Dedham

CO7 6AA

///robots.nightcap.backpacks

 Bradfield

CO11 2UW

///luck.slipped.assess

 8.0 miles Stage 8 4.15pm 17.59 Ian (Hockley Trail Runners) 07906 769972
9 Sports field opposite Mill Lane, Bradfield, CO11 2UW

///luck.slipped.assess

 Ramsey, CO12 5HH

///highways.wildfires.shopping

 5.3 miles Stage 9 5.15pm 18.26 Dean Ovel (Leigh on Sea) 07801 520640
10 The Castle Inn, Ramsey, CO12 5HH

///highways.wildfires.shopping

 St Helens Green, Harwich, CO12 3NH

///shark.grad.trap

 5.5 miles Stage 10  6pm 19.11 Dave Rout (Harwich) 07955 893562

More info here and here

Parking

This is what we know on the car parking based on last year – there will likely the more information in the WhatsApp groups!

Leg One – Epping – the station car park – however you need to pay.  There may be parking in local streets but be careful of the restrictions.
Leg Two  – Ongar – car parks – again payment is required.
Leg Three  – Good Easter – Parking in the sports field available but not very big. Otherwise in local streets.
Leg Four – Little Leighs – Paddock parking available – map here – then streets near A131.
Leg Five  – Cressing – there is limited parking here. Please park considerately.
Leg Six – Great Tey – Lots of Parking on Greenfield Drive and then take the alleyway to start.  Plus local streets – please park considerately.
Leg Seven – West Bergholt – this is always a difficult one and we would advise against going to this leg unless you are running or collecting someone. However Springfield advises parking in New Church Road.  Don’t try to park at the start itself.
Leg Eight – Dedham – there is parking in the street and local (paying) car parks.
Leg Nine – Bradfield – there is a community centre car park and parking in the street.
Leg Ten – Ramsey – Do not park on the streets in the Village, there are Instead two ample car parks – a field between the Castle pub and the A120.  This is just for people leaving their cars in advance. It will be closed at 6.30-45. Ramsey Hill Garage which is just over the A120 and is also where Leg 10 starts for safety reasons.
At Harwich for the Finish and Fish and Chips – parking in the streets

The Volunteers

Steven Alder, our leg manager, will be in touch in relation to volunteering in due course.

As always, any errors, queries, issues, do let me know!

JM

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