Common questions about the Cotswold Midnight Walks

Everything you need to know about the event – from parking to fancy dress to sponsorship, it’s all here!

Will there be parking facilities on the night?

Parking facilities will be available at both of the registration venues where the walk begins and ends and will be free of charge.  There will also be over flow parking for both walks at near by car parks with a shuttle service in operation.  Details of how to find the venue and parking will be sent with your final information

Can I get food and drink on the night?

A 500ml bottle of water will be provided before the walk and nibbles and some fizz will be provided after the walk, all free of charge.  You are welcome to bring your own refreshments and we advise you bring some water of your own as well to consume on the walk but NO alcohol will be permitted within the event site or during the walk. Please take all litter home with you.

What are the routes of the walks?

Cotswold Midnight Walk Cirencester.

The walk will begin at Deer Park School, out into Cirencester Park and onwards into the town of Cirencester itself.  The walk will finish back at the School.  The route will be well sign posted and lit on the night of the walk, with lots of marshals to point you in the right direction.

Cotswold Midnight Walk Gloucester

The starting point of the Gloucester walk is still to be confirmed, however it will be a central Gloucester location. Again the route will be marshalled, sign posted and lit. 

What is the terrain like?

The walk has been designed for women of all ages and fitness levels and although there is some hill walking involved in the Cirencester Midnight Walk, the gradients of the hills are not too demanding.

Will the route be lit?

All of the Cotswold Midnight Walk Gloucester will take place where there are street lights.  The route for much of the Cotswold Midnight Walk Cirencester will take place where street lights will light the way for you with lighting provided at various points in Cirencester Park.

Both walks will be fully marshalled and these marshals will chaperone walkers through parts of the course which are more dimly lit.   You should, however bring along a torch on the night of the walk.  Head torches are a good idea and are readily available from outdoor pursuit shops.

How long will the walk take?

The walks are definitely not races and there will be no pressure to finish in a certain time. We anticipate they will take anything from 1 hour to 5 hours to complete.  No walkers are allowed to run or jog and no walker must pass the nominated walk leader.

What happens if I can’t finish the walk?

There will be a minibus driving along the route throughout both walks. If you feel that you are unable to continue with the walk, you must inform one of the marshals who will arrange for the minibus to collect you.

Will it be safe?

Your safety is of the utmost importance to us. Both the Cotswold Midnight Walks in Cirencester and Gloucester will be marshalled by male volunteers.  We will also have a special radio communications team working on the night to make sure that we know what is happening at every stage of the route. We also ask that you your mobile phone should be switched on, fully charged and with plenty of credit on it.

Will there be anywhere to leave any valuables?

Unfortunately there are no facilities at either of our walks to leave possessions so please do make sure that you only bring essential items with you.

Will there be first aid facilities?

We will have first aiders available at the registration venues and along the routes and for the duration of the walks.

Will there be toilets en route?

Toilet facilities will be available at the start/end of the routes and at other designated points along the routes.

What should I wear?

We recommend that you wear comfortable shoes and clothes (inc. your Midnight Walk T-shirt!).  The walk will not be sheltered so you may need to bring some wet weather gear too. You are also welcome to come along in fancy dress, so anything goes!  As the event will be held at night, you will become cold, we suggest that you wear layers that you can put on and take off as needed.

Your shoes are the most important part of your clothing as you will be using your feet a lot! Wear footwear that you feel comfortable in, this could be trainers or hiking boots. Trainers are comfortable with cushioning on the heel and flexion at the ball of the foot, just where you need it. Try and get ones with a mesh front so the foot can breathe.  Hiking boots offer more support for the ankle if needed but can be expensive. Most importantly, make sure that whatever footwear you decide to walk in are well worn in.

I have a disability can I still take part?

Disabled entrants are very welcome to take part but due to the nature of the event we ask you to contact us prior to completing the form as some disabilities may not find the event suitable. If a disabled entrant requires assistance from another person, this person must also enter as an individual.

Do I need to train?

The Cotswold Midnight Walks are fun walks and not designed to be a challenge event, however they are 10 miles long!  There are no steep hills in either walk and you will be walking on paths for both walks, other than a section of field terrain during our Midnight Walk in Cirencester.  We recommend that you feel comfortable that you will be able to complete a long walk.

Can we walk as a group?

Yes absolutely. You don’t need to tell us that you are walking as a group and we have left the organisation of your group up to you.  Once you have registered on the night you will all be able to join up again and get together as a group.  You will be able to walk as a group throughout the event, as all walkers will set off at the same time in an exciting mass start at midnight!

Can I take part in the Midnight Walk alone?

Although you can enter the Midnight Walks alone, we recommend that you encourage some friends or family members to take part with you. The routes will be well marshalled, signed and lit but for both your and our own peace of mind we will put you together with other people on the night to walk with.   Just think- it’ a great way to make new friends!

Can I bring pets?

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate pets or animals on either of our walks except for Guide Dogs.

What time can I arrive?

At both walks, gates will open at 7.30pm ready for registration and details of the registration process will be sent to you with your final information at the beginning of June for the Cotswold Midnight Walk Cirencester and in late August for the Cotswold Midnight Walk Gloucester.  We do advise that you arrive by 8pm at the very latest in order to enable us to register everyone on time, ready for us to start the walk at midnight.

To help keep you amused while you wait for the start of the walk we are offering free complementary therapy sessions before and after the walk, to help you relax and maintain your health and fitness levels.  We’ll also have a fun warm-up just before midnight to get everyone ready for the off!

Do I have to raise a certain amount of money?

We have not set a minimum sponsorship amount that you need to raise, but we do ask that you raise as much as you can!  Your entry fee will help us cover the cost of organising the event, so it is vitally important that you raise sponsorship money on top of you entry fee.  You will find sponsorship forms enclosed with this welcome pack for you to use plus information on lots of easy and fun ways you could boost your sponsor money.

Why can’t I download a sponsor form from the website?

We do not put downloadable sponsorship forms on the website as people who have not already entered the walk may download them and begin to collect sponsorship money.  We would hate for somebody to collect sponsor money before officially registering for the walk and then find out that all of the spaces had been filled.  If you are able to, we are happy for you to photocopy your sponsorship forms.  Alternatively you can email us at isla.mclean@cotswoldcare.org.uk or call us on 01453 886868 and will happily email you some more or send some out to you in the post.

Can I gift aid my donation?

You can ask each person who sponsors you to gift aid their donation by ticking the gift aid box on the sponsor form. Only personal donations are eligible for gift aid.  Please make sure your sponsors fill in their complete home address and postcode, otherwise we are unable to claim gift aid.

Can I hand in my sponsor money in on the night?

Unfortunately we will not have the facilities to take money on the night so please do not bring your sponsor money with you. We ask that you return your sponsor money to us by the beginning of August 2011 for the Cotswold Midnight Walk Cirencester and by the beginning of November 2011 for the Cotswold Midnight Walk Gloucester.

You can do this by sending a cheque made payable to Cotswold Care Hospice to: Cotswold Care Hospice Midnight Walk, Cotswold Care Hospice, Burleigh Lane, Minchinhampton, Glos, GL5 2PQ.  Further details of how you can pay your money to Cotswold Care Hospice will be sent to you with your final information.

How old do I need to be?

Entrants must be 12 years of age or over on the night of the events, 17th June 2011, 2nd September 2011.  An adult guardian must accompany each entrant aged 12-16 for the duration of the walk.  For school and Youth groups there must be a ratio of 2 adults per 5 pupils. The guardian must sign the registration form in the space provided and enter separately in the Midnight Walk. The applications must then be submitted together and the full entry fee is applicable for both entrants.

Why can only women walk?

We feel there is something very special about a group of women joining together for a common cause. We do, however, need lots of volunteers on the night so any men who would like to be involved please contact us about joining the team and of course, chaps are more than welcome to raise some sponsorship too!