Team behind popular Wolf Run event near Leamington is on the hunt for a new site

The Wolf Run, which stands for Woods, Obstacles, Lakes and Fields, took place at Welsh Road Farm in Offchurch twice a year but will be leaving the site as the HS2 line runs through the course.

The section of the high-speed line will go through Burton Green and will carry on near to Cubbington, Offchurch and Southam.

Charlie Moreton held the first Wolf Run at his family’s farm in 2011, where 650 runners took part in the event.

The Wolf Run is now a seasonal event and attracts 9,000 runners to each event.

This year’s spring and autumn events at Welsh Road Farm will be the last on the site.

Charlie said: “Unfortunately HS2 will be cutting the farm and the course in half, with the works starting at the end of this year. It’s not possible to continue running events during or after the build phase as vital areas of the land are being taken.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow and the whole team here are pretty upset. It’s going to be a new challenge for us but I’m confident we can move on and make the most of new beginnings by delivering an exiting event for our runners.”

When asked about the HS2 project Charlie said: “I am not one to get in the way of progression but I believe this project is definitely not what the country needs. HS2 is supposed to cure the North-South divide but in reality the evidence suggests it will make things worse.

“Why not spend the money in the North on services that benefit the region not by drawing more business and money into London?

“It will be heavily subsidised, local services will be cut to push people onto HS2 and it’s destroying businesses and communities up the length of the line. Personally I would like to see the money spent on internet and mobile phone services which benefit everyone. The UK is currently 54th in the world for 4G which is shocking.

“The business and environmental cases don’t stack up and HS2 was already seven billion over budget back in 2016. I can only hope to be proved wrong and the impact for everyone in this area is minimal.”

Now that the Wolf Run has to move from its original location, Charlie and the team are now looking for a new site in Warwickshire for the event.

Charlie said: “I’m grateful that people enjoy what we do, I love hosting the events and to see so many return runners is hugely rewarding.

“The additional venues are an even greater challenge to organise but they give us the opportunity to mix things up for the runners and reach new audiences.

“Stanford Hall, for example, has enabled us to expand by introducing an after-party with live bands, DJs, camping and this year a Health and Fitness Festival running alongside the Wolf Run too.

“We are looking for a new Warwickshire site for 2019 and beyond. Our core following is from this area, it’s where it all started and it would be a real shame to not continue in this county.”

Charlie and the Wolf Run team will be marking the last events in Offchurch and will be throwing a closing party at the September event.

The Wolf Run is now a seasonal event and the family farm is now home to the spring and autumn runs with the summer and winter runs taking place at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, which is eight miles from Rugby.

There are also events at Pippingford Park in East Sussex.

The next Wolf Run event will be the Spring Wolf, which takes place at Welsh Road Farm in Offchurch on April 7 and April 8.

Entry for the event is now open.

To enter the spring wolf go to: https://thewolfrun.com/springwolf/