the run

The route

This epic 25-day run around the rugby clubs of Wales and Gloucestershire will kick off on 9th August in St David’s – Wales’ most-westerly point.

I’ll then head west, visiting as many clubs as I can, meeting Welsh rugby folk before crossing the border into Gloucestershire and finishing at the club where I started playing – Cheltenham RFC on September 2nd.

I hope to run 1,000kms or 1 Million Metres and raise vital funds for The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and other MND causes along the way.

This year

2023 - WEST WALES TO THE WEST COUNTRY​

An epic 25-day run around the rugby clubs of Wales and Gloucestershire. From St David’s – Wales’ most-westerly point all the way to Gloucestershire, finishing at the club where I started playing – Cheltenham RFC.

I ran 1,000kms or 1 Million Metres, raising vital funds for The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and other MND causes.

How it works

In its simplest form, this is a sponsored run. However, The Great Rugger Run is much more than that. It is a journey across a rugby landscape, meeting the characters and hearing about the legends. It’s a search through clubhouses for history and memorabilia. It’s a new kind of rugby tour.

The Day to day

It starts with running. Every day for three weeks I will get up and run for upwards of 20 miles. Every day. Plotting a route through rugby heartlands I will plod the pavements and trails from rugby club to rugby club across the land.

Tim Tunnicliff - The Great Rugger Run
Paul Couzens - The Great Rugger Run

Visiting clubs

I want to visit as many clubs as I can. I managed 104 in 2021 and 71 in 2022. I want to see the grounds, soak up the clubhouse atmosphere and most importantly – meet the members.

Running is an absolute passion of mine, but meeting the rugby folk across the land was the highlight of previous runs. I met some truly incredible and inspirational people and they became the stars of the show.

Lodgings

In addition to meeting rugby-folk at the clubs, being hosted by rugby people was an absolute joy. The opportunity to find out more about the people, the local rugby landscape and the places that mould them was a real priviledge.

I put my faith in the rugby community in 2021 and it was justified as I was generously hosted on 34 out of the 35 nights of last year’s run. Then in 2022 I got the full sweep – hosted for all 25 nights – Wonderful!

Would you be able to host me this year?

Phil and Sally Westren with Tim Tunnicliff
Kevin Oates with Tim Tunnicliff

Logisitics

I run with a small backpack – just big enough to carry water, a bit of food, some spare layers and, of course, my pack of Great Rugger Run stickers to hand out to anyone that will take one.

I also have with me a larger bag for all the other essentials – the things I need to stay fit and healthy, spare kit, equipment, nutrition, etc.

My bag made it all the way from Cornwall to London in 2021 and a lap of Scotland last year courtesy of kind strangers who volunteered to drive it between stops. Could you do the same this year?

Run with me?

Although I love running on my own, the best experiences are shared. By being out in the fresh air, loving my exercise, I’m hoping to inspire others to do the same.

Would you like to run with me for a few hundred yards, a few miles, a few days or longer?

Chris Stillman with Tim Tunnicliff

Previous years

2022 - Scotland

The second Great Rugger Run was held in Scotland. 544 miles run and 71 rugby clubs visited in just 25 days!

I started in Oban out west and finished at Doddie Weir’s club Melosse in the Scottish Borders. The Scots were remarkable hosts and supporters as we raised over £11,000 for The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

2021 - Lands End to london

Two years in the making, six months of training, 542 miles, 104 rugby clubs and 142,902 calories over 5 weeks of The Great Rugger Run.

Follow my incredible journey from Lands End to London as I met rugby-folk across the land, recorded videos, wrote blog posts and raised over £7,000 for mental health charities.

Join me

Keep up with...

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Thank you, and get out and run!