We hope that you are all looking forward to this year’s Suffolk Whole Hog which includes the shorter ‘Whole Hog’ race and the longer ‘Boss Hog’ race. You are going to have a fantastic day with lots of mud and water. Some of you will be running for a competitive time, some of you may be running for fun or personal achievement whilst many will also be raising money for good causes.

Please note that the final race file has now gone to the timing company so we can no longer accept requests to transfer places or deferrals.

What do I have to do when I arrive?
Registration in the main hall opens at:

Wave 1 – 8.15am to 9.20am for a 9.30am race start
Wave 2 – 9.30am to 10.20am for a 10.30am race start
Wave 3 – 10.30am to 11.20am for an 11.30am race start
Wave 4 – 11.30am to 12.20pm for a 12.30pm race start

 A race brief will take place at the start line10 mins before the race starts followed by a quick warm up by a qualified fitness instructor.

You need to park, register, tie on your timing chip, leave your belongings in your car or at the bag drop area and hear the race brief/warm up – SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE HOME EARLY ENOUGH TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO REGISTER.

At registration you will be given your t-shirt and an envelope containing a wristband and a timing chip with your race number on them. Please secure the band to your wrist and your timing chip MUST be secured onto your shoe with the cable ties provided. IMPORTANT: The chip will not work if you run with it in your pocket, glove or inside your shoe and if you do not have a chip you will not get a time. We will have examples of how to tie the chip onto your shoe within the hall.  Please recycle your envelopes in the blue recycling bins provided.

Race timing
We are using a new timing company for 2021 who use the same chip style system we used in 2019. Your race time starts when you cross the mat at the start line and will stop when you cross the finish line. Provisional results will be available on the Monday via Facebook and on our website, but we will endeavour to post these sooner. It is important to note that you will not be able to swap waves or race distance on the day. If you run in a different wave or distance your race time will not be accurate and will affect the overall results for others.

What should I wear?
The majority of the course will be off road, so it is advisable you wear trainers.
PLEASE DO NOT WEAR SPIKES as this will damage our equipment.
Make sure your shoes are secured tightly as the mud and water can often cause these to slide off – you have been warned!! We suggest long sleeved tops, leggings and gloves to help avoid scratches, stings & bruises, but for the hardcore hoggers, you could also run in shorts and t-shirt. Be prepared to get dirty … these are not road races – so bring an old towel and a change of clothing with you!

Where can I leave my bag, keys, phone?
A free bag drop and key drop will be available, but we would urge you to leave bags in your cars or with family/friends if possible. The car park is close to the start and finish so is not far to walk. Belongings are left at the bag drop at the runner’s own risk.

Will there be changing facilities and showers?
The changing area will be in the old barn at the back of the main registration hall split into male and female areas.  Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity for showers on site. There will be a hose down area near the bar/finish area. To reduce the amount of clothing and footwear left behind to go to landfill after our event we kindly ask that you bring a bag to take your wet and muddy clothing home with you. If you no longer intend to use them, please consider putting them through the wash (we suggest hosing them first) and donating them to charity.

Will there be any water stations?
A water station will be positioned roughly half way around both courses and an additional one on the longer route as well as one at the finish line. We no longer hand out bottles of drink at the finish line in a bid to cut down on plastic waste. We will be using up our stock of plastic cups this year with a view to using more eco friendly receptacles in future. Please place all plastic cups in the blue recycling bins provided.

Spectators 
A spectator area will be signposted for family and friends who may wish to cheer you on, or possibly giggle at some of the challenges you have to undertake to complete the course. Well behaved dogs must be kept on leads as this is working farmland with livestock. There is no charge to spectate.
 
Parking
Parking is well signposted, and we will have a professional car parking management company running this for us but please car share where possible to avoid congestion at the event and to be kinder to the environment. The car parks are very close to the start and finish areas. There is no charge to park.
 
Photographs
Please keep a lookout for our photographers who will try to get photos of all of you as you go around the course but we do not guarantee this.  We also have a Whole Hog Races back drop at the event village for those before and after photos to prove how muddy you got!! Photos we will be posted on our Facebook page in the days following the event. There is no charge for photographs.

Merchandise
We will be selling Whole Hog Hoodies (£30), limited edition value snoods (£5), white cotton t-shirts (£15), our technical t-shirts (£5), and mugs (£5). We can accept cash and cards on the day for these items.

Can I book on the day?
There are limited places left in wave 4 only which starts at 12.30pm for last minute, on the day bookings. We would ask that you arrive in good time to complete the necessary booking form and make payment which will be £55 for the Whole Hog race and £60 for the Boss Hog race.
 
Vendors
A range of caterers will be selling hot and cold food and drinks throughout the day within the event village area including a hog roast, a wrap bar, a vegan stall and a coffee van.
 
The address and postcode for the event is:
Wantisden Hall
Woodbridge
IP12 3PQ
 
COVID-19
DO NOT ATTEND IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF OR TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID
Hand sanitiser will be available at various sites around the event village and in the hall as well as in the porta loos. We will endeavour to regularly disinfect surfaces and doors throughout the day. Our staff and volunteers have been asked to do lateral flow tests. We will aim to maintain a one-way system in the hall during registration. Whilst this is an outdoor event with no current government restrictions, we would ask all participants and spectators to continue to be mindful of the spread of covid-19.

We look forward to seeing you all on the 10th October 

Finally, remember to keep smiling when you are thigh high deep in the mud!!
 
Regards


The Hog Team