Four female friendly races
And my sporting pick of the week
What is a female friendly race? Since women are not one homogenous group this can be difficult to define. We all want different things from our races and while I might be happy to have a wild wee at the side of the road other women may actually prefer to have access to a toilet.
So when I refer to female friendly races I mean events that have actively put support in place to encourage more women to enter. This may mean following the SheRACES guidelines or simply being aware that women often have different needs to men and providing facilities accordingly.
Barriers to women still remain in sport and the needle still needs to dramatically shift. But some races are doing a really good job of recognising the specific needs of female participants.
So here is my round-up of some of the UK’s most female friendly races…
SheRACES Trail Series
Peak District, August 2nd 2025
https://www.sheracestrailseries.com/peak-district
This joint venture between Ourea Events and SheRACES is a female only race in a similar vein to the hugely successful SheUltra in Wales.
There are women only changing facilities, breastfeeding support points, free sanitary products and baggage storage. Since the event is cross country on either a 25k or 50k route the course is fully waymarked and marshalled so there is no risk of getting lost. There are also no cut off times which can put additional pressure on women and put them off from entering longer races.
One of my athletes is ultra curious and really loves the sound of this race as a stepping stone into other ultra marathons. The fact that she doesn’t have to worry about navigation is a huge relief and the stunning location is also a big attraction.
Big Bear Events
Midlands, All year round
https://bigbearevents.net/events
Based in the Midlands, Big Bear Events offer a series of weekday and weekend events at a variety of woodland/parkland venues. Many of the races are looped events where you have six hours to run a 5k loop as few or as many times as you like. It is completely flexible and you know on every loop there will be a toilet and an amazing array of food – plus heaps of support.
I did my first accidental ultra at the Big Bear Event in Salcey Forest, and have since returned with my dog (many of their events are dog friendly too). I’m also signed up for their Badger Challenge race later this month at Beacon Hill Country Park.
Super friendly and low key (arriving late after school drop-off is no problem) there is absolutely no pressure in these events. Run, jog or walk from 5k to ultra distance. Their website also offers training plans and strength and conditioning plans to help you reach your goals.
I also love that I can do an ultra mid week (the benefit of being freelance) and it doesn’t eat into family time at the weekend. Plus I don’t have to book a dog sitter because Zippy can race with me.
Race Harborough, Run Rabbit Trail Festival
Deene Park, Northamptonshire, May 17th & 18th 2025
I have a major soft spot for this race having participated in it every year since it began. And last year I finally made it into the top three. It is local to me and has a female race director which is a huge selling point, since the vast majority of races are organised by men.
What I love about this festival is the range of races runners can pick between. There is the option of 10k, half marathon, or 5 x 5k, or the whole lot (which is what I do each year). The 5 x 5k is great for those looking to step up from half marathon distance and is a fun format with each 5k starting on the hour.
There are loads of marshals on the routes (which are all trails) and it is impossible to take a wrong turn. Last year I also noticed separate female and male toilets, of which there was enough for everyone. They often do recces of the area pre-race for anyone nervous about trail running for the first time.
I was going to retire from the event after reaching my goal of a podium position in 2024 but this year it is switching venue so I may just have to give it one more go...
Equinox 24
Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, September 21st & 22nd
Another event with a female race director Equinox 24 is similar to Big Bear in format but on a bigger scale. It is a 10k loop around the grounds of the Belvoir estate (pronounced beaver) for a full 24 hours. Again this offers loads of flexibility but also the assurance that there will be a toilet every six miles, and an opportunity to change your clothes/shoes and refuel at regular intervals without having to carry a huge pack of items.
You can run the race solo, in pairs or teams, and run for one hour all the way up to 24 hours. Spectators are allowed onsite so you can have your own support crew and there is also a kids fun run so the whole family can be involved.
I’ll be taking on the 24-hour challenge this September with my running buddy Emma Wilkinson to celebrate a special project we have been working on for two years.
Honourable mentions
Threshold Trail Series have been doing a lot of work as part of their 50:50 campaign to have equal numbers of women and men at their races. They are a suite of races across the country of varying ultra marathon distance.
Abingdon Marathon (October 19th 2025) got 66% more women onto their start line within a year by making some simple changes. They extended their cut off time from five hours to six hours, increased the number of toilets, created a clear pregnancy deferral policy and lifted the ban on music.
Can you recommend a female friendly race?
Testing testing
This week I have started testing Ena Athletics Proto Runner 1. Described as being inspired by Greek heritage they are a carbon plated road shoe made partly from sustainable materials (a recycled upper and bio based foam). I will report back soon on how these £190 super shoes stack up against the big brands.
Pick of the week
I was recently asked to test NIXI Body underwear which are designed as leak proof knickers. They come in different absorbencies and are suitable for menstrual blood or urinary leaks. They sent me a pair of the sporty low cut VPL-Free underwear (light absorbency) and the sporty hip hugger VPL-Free underwear (medium absorbency).
I was a little worried that they might be too bulky but I was pleasantly surprised. They are fab! I particularly like the low cut pair (Sarah) which are soft and comfortable, plus super practical. As someone on the mini-pill I don’t get periods but I do get random light bleeds and spotting but I never know when they are going to happen. These knickers have been the perfect solution and I no longer have to worry about stained pants or carrying liners.
The hip huggers (Susie), although bigger and more padded, are great for race day. From past experience I know I can leak, especially if I am tearing downhill, but I now have the reassurance that these pants will keep me dry. Even though they are larger than sports knickers I would normally wear I forget they are there. I can also testify that both pants are indeed visible panty line free!
Check them out here: https://www.nixibody.com/
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. If you have any running news for me, let me know! Send feedback to lilycanter@yahoo.co.uk or suggest topics you’d like me to cover.
