Cannock Chase Forest 20 Miler Trail

Race Description

The 20 mile is the longest of Nice Work's Cannock Chase Forest distances, run as four laps of the same undulating loop through the forest's paths and trails, starting and finishing at Wood Road Car Park off Penkridge Bank Road. Cannock Chase has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1958, with a history as a medieval royal hunting ground later cleared for charcoal production - the route today mixes pine plantation with more open heathland sections, on trails likely to hold mud and exposed tree roots after wet weather.

Four laps of hilly, technical forest trail makes this a serious undertaking rather than a scenic jog, and it's explicitly pitched by the organisers as spring marathon training - a distance-and-terrain combination that suits runners building toward an early-season marathon more than anyone chasing a fast time. Entry includes a bespoke medal, free event photographs, and trophies and prizes for the leading finishers, plus free parking at the venue.

Repeating the same lap four times also means the course becomes very familiar by the final circuit, which can be an advantage for pacing but makes the later laps a mental as well as physical test - worth knowing before entering the longest option on offer.