Northstowe Festival of Running 2026 – All the elements, despite the elements

August Bank Holiday weekend marked Northstowe’s sixth Festival of Running, with hundreds of local and visiting runners enjoying another successful day.

This time, however, they had to beat the odds. After five previous sunny festivals (and unbroken sun in the build-up), plans for this year’s festival were threatened by the forecast of an incoming storm. Just hours before the start, the storm materialised (in a big way), putting the festival at risk.

As we’ve become used to seeing here, Northstowe’s spirit shone brightly. A community rally cry, coupled with final preparations through the night, made sure the festival went ahead. Read the full story below.

The morning after the night before

By 8 am, everything looked very different. Aside from puddles and a greening of the previously scorched grass, there was little evidence of the storm when Half Marathon and 10k runners began to arrive at Western Park Pavilion for pre-race registration. But just hours earlier, a day’s worth of preparation had been wiped out by wind and rain, with staging and temporary structures blown away and damaged.

You may have seen Marcin Lis (Founder and Race Director) giving very wet social media updates throughout the evening, reassuring participants that he and Event Manager Lizz Mayers were doing everything they could to overcome the elements. After the storm hit, a message to Saturday’s volunteers and a post online saw many spend their Friday evening restoring what the storm had broken. Without this help, it simply wouldn’t have been possible to run the event.

Runners woke to good news, with an email describing how volunteers and willing residents had come together. The event would be going ahead. The keen-eyed will have spotted the time of this email – overnight at 3.23 am as Marcin went back to work! A monumental effort.

An event the community can be proud of

The team of volunteers, including Air Cadets from the Oakington Squadron, were on hand to register runners, assign bibs, and hand out chip timers for shoes. Over by the start line at Western Park, warm-ups were being led by Stardust Dance Academy (Miss Hannah) and ShapeXchange (Hektor Marden), two of Northstowe’s thriving local businesses. As race time approached, there was naturally a sense of relief, but more so, there was thanks and appreciation for the extraordinary efforts of all involved.

Local Councillor, Luis Navarro summed it up nicely:

“The team have done something special here, and with last night’s storm, this year was extra special.

This kind of event gives Northstowe the chance to cement its identity. We’re a young population, and the Running Festival is healthy and aspirational, while people are also travelling here to enjoy the event. It’s exactly what we need.”

How to build a running festival

Establishing a running event and attracting hundreds of runners each year is quite an achievement, and even without a storm, none of this happens by chance. As with running, hard work is key.

Marcin and Lizz had been planning for months. As Marcin says:

“Even before the weather last night, running an event like this takes a long time and feels like 24/7 for the days in the build-up.

Last night made those hours a reality. It was a long night, but the response from the community was brilliant, and I know the runners appreciate it. We did it, and we made it happen!”

Celebrating excellence and inclusion

Northstowe’s running festival is for everyone who wants to participate. Chip timing and the flat course make it a good prospect for those chasing fast times, but with a Half Marathon, 10k, 5k, and a Family Mile to choose from, there’s an event for everyone to enjoy.

Whether you’re fighting for the top places, aiming for a new personal best, or hitting a personal milestone, you’re welcome here. We enjoyed hearing from Gianluca Benedetto (pictured below), who was at the festival for the first time:

“First time. Unbelievable. The weather last night was ridiculous, and when I saw the email saying they had made it work, I couldn’t believe it.

And then it ran so smoothly with no delays… plus I got a 10k PB!”

In numbers: Some running metrics to dig into

There are always many other stories behind success, and if you spend any time around runners, you’ll find they love their metrics: distance, time, steps, hours slept and calories are common examples.

In keeping, here are some of the numbers behind this year’s festival story:

Festival number: 6

Number of finishers: 540

Oldest participant: 80 years old (completing the 5k*)

Youngest participant: 2 months

Earliest/latest email sent: 3.23 am

Approximate steps run: Over 7 million

Marcin’s step count: 82,000 across Friday and Saturday

Fruit handed out: 965 pieces (thanks Bushell Box, Willingham)

Double chocolate brownies: 600 bites (thanks Cambridge Luxury Bakes)

Next year’s event: See you in 2027!

* Plus a shout-out to the 79-year-old finisher in the 10k, and the 75-year-old completing the Half Marathon!

It’s all about how you finish

Runners will tell you it’s always important to finish strong. Despite tiring legs, it’s incredible how cheers, claps and the promise of a medal and drink always help finishers to muster their final sprint. We saw this throughout the day.

However, this year, more than ever, the brilliant festival organisers modelled the determination needed to finish well. Well done, thank you, and we’ll look forward to the next one.

For updates, make sure you connect with the Northstowe Running Festival on Facebook and sign up for news about future events on the website (Home - Northstowe Running Festival).