Oliver Fisher 5k Trail

Race Description

The 5k covers a single lap of the same Milton Creek Country Park route used for the 10k - winding through the park, crossing the historic Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway line, and looping under Swale Way before finishing back in the park - so it gives a genuine cross-section of the course rather than a cut-down loop of its own. It's organised by Nice Work and starts alongside the 10k and family fun run from Saffron Way.

Like the longer distance, it raises money for the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust, which funds equipment for the neonatal unit at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, named after the paediatrician who campaigned for special care baby provision in Medway from the 1950s onwards. Entrants get a bespoke medal and t-shirt, with prizes for the leading finishers and free parking.

With one lap rather than two, it's the more approachable of the pair - a good choice for less experienced runners, families, or anyone doing the fun run and wanting a slightly bigger challenge alongside it, while still getting the same off-road parkland scenery as the 10k field.

The race exists to support the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust, which funds specialist equipment for the neonatal unit at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham - a cause with deep roots in the local community, since many entrants and volunteers have direct connections to the unit it supports. A kids' run alongside the main event keeps it firmly family-oriented rather than purely competitive. What sets it apart from a generic country-park 10k elsewhere is that mix of genuinely fast, flat off-road terrain with a clearly explained, close-to-home charitable purpose - runners here tend to know exactly who and what their entry fee is helping.

It suits PB-chasing trail runners, families looking for a supportive local event, and anyone drawn to a cause that's more personal than the often abstract charity tie-ins seen at bigger races.