The 52 mile circular Green Belt Way takes in the picturesque countryside and historic villages surrounding Oxford. Created in 2007 to celebrate 50 years of Oxford’s green belt and 75 years of Oxfordshire’s branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the route celebrates the protected countryside surrounding the city of Oxford.
The first OxBelt Relay race took place in 2022 with local running clubs being invited to join an informal ‘invitational’ get-together to explore the route and enjoy the adventures of a trail relay close to home. The event continues to evolve, becoming a team relay race combining the spirit of competition between local clubs and the adventure of discovering local trails.
The Event
Starting and finishing in Risinghurst, the course consists of 8 legs between 4.5 and 9 miles. Descriptions of the legs are available here and the rules and guidelines of the event are available here.
The race is organised by a committee comprising: Jason Smith (HRR, chair), Alan Darbyshire (HRR), Paul Fernandez (Abingdon AC), Graham Bridges (Eynsham RR), Peter Kyberd (Kidlington AC), John Griffiths (HRR), and Neil Pinnell (Oxford City).
Open to any Oxfordshire athletics/running club, the 2024 event is provisionally scheduled for July 14th. Representatives from interested clubs should email admin@hrr.org.uk for further details.
2024 Results:
| Race Rank | Team | Race Time |
| 1 | Abingdon A | 07:11:58 |
| 2 | Oxford City A | 07:13:58 |
| 3 | Headington A | 07:23:35 |
| 4 | Abingdon B | 08:04:55 |
| 5 | Eynsham A | 08:08:03 |
| 6 | Abbey | 08:36:12 |
| 7 | Thame | 09:01:03 |
| 8 | Headington B | 09:13:10 |
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Further information:
- Long Distance Walkers Association, Oxford Green Belt Way
- CPRE Oxfordshire, Oxford Green Belt Way
- GPS Routes, Oxford Green Belt Way, including photos and gpx file.
- Oxford Mail, Creating the Green Belt Way
Event Photos
