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Participants jumping from a wooden ledge, with bright, blue sky above them

Dirty Day

"into the woods I go, to lose my mind & find my soul"

Welcome to Dirty Day – a special edition running and obstacle event from Rat Race, in partnership with Forest Facility and involving a run around the woods of Burghley Estate with lots of obstacles thrown in for good measure. The reason? From one amazing forest to another, proceeds raised go to our rainforest conservation initiative in Panama: Project Jungle.

Enter

Dates

15th August 2026

Duration

1 day

Distance

Choose from
4 miles
8 miles
20 miles

Event Type

Mass Participation Events

Highlights

Man, putting his thumbs up and standing on wooden planks

Earn a Dirty Weekend Retro Medal

In a firm nod towards the epic beast of old, if you are busting for a fix and want to put yourself through 20 miles of awesome obstacle action, you can choose to tip your hat firmly back towards the days of DW and opt to do as many laps as you can within a 6 hour period to earn the retro medal!

A smiling man, wearing a colourful shirt, crawling through a tunnel in a forest

Spend the day & do more!

For those who wish to make a day of it, Forest Facility will be operating its fantastic array of adventure activities. Choose from loads of family fun, such as zip wires, axe throwing, archery, laser tag, mini tanks, family treasure hunt and more.

Participants trekking over grassland in sunlit jungle

Help us to protect the rainforest as part of Project Jungle.

This is a special edition event, hosted in partnership with Forest Facility and using the power of 1 forest here in the UK to help us purchase and protect a strategically important tract of another forest, in central America. You can read all about our Project: Jungle in our FAQs and proceeds from Dirty Day go towards this project.

People jumping into water from a platform

re-Experience some legendary classics!

Alongside 60 other obstacles we'll be opening up old-skool classics such as the big water jump, lake swim and the underground tunnels.

Itinerary

Participants climbing up a muddy wall of tyres

WHATS IT ALL ABOUT & WHO'S BEHIND IT?

Dirty Day is brought to you by Rat Race, the UK’s largest provider of adventure challenge events and the guys who were behind the world’s biggest assault course – Dirty Weekend. This epic event unfolded in the glorious woods and countryside of the Burghley Estate between 2012 and 2022 and for 10 years was the world’s biggest assault course.

When Dirty Weekend came to a spectacular close after a stellar 10 year run, a series of huge wooden obstacle structures that were built into the woods of the Burghley Estate were conserved, loads of materials were upcycled, some super-cool extra activities installed - such as zip wires, laser tag, axe throwing and all sorts of other stuff - and Forest Facility was born. Over the past 3 years Forest Facility has established itself as a premier small-group adventure centre offering loads of action to birthday parties, corporate groups, schools and loads of other users.

In a nostalgic nod to the famous Dirty Weekend of old, for 1 day only we are opening up the assault course, putting together a special-edition 4 mile lap featuring over 60 obstacles of the old Dirty Weekend course, plus some absolute whoppers like the Ewok village. We will also be opening up old-skool classics such as the big water jump, lake swim and the underground tunnels.

Man walking over a plank of wood, with netting either side

How will it work?

Our format will see us using the existing awesome obstacles at Forest Facility, whilst opening up a few of the old favourites that do not get used much anymore, such as the maHOOSive water jump, lake swim and underground tunnels. It will all take place on a special-edition 4 mile loop and you will have the option (as an adult) to do 1 or 2 laps, offering 60 (or 120) obstacles. For teens, (13 – 17) we are offering the 4 mile course and for families, we have a super-cool 1.5 mile wave that you will be able to do together.

We will start folks off in waves and you can choose your starting wave when you enter, enabling you to enjoy the course at your preferred time (subject to availability – early waves are likely to sell out fast). This also enable those who wish to experience more of the Forest Facility action to do so, by signing up to some of the other exciting activities that will be running on-site all day. For info on those activities, check out the Forest Facility site HERE .

Mud-covered man walking along tyres

Family wave

The family wave will be separate from the adult waves and will enable families to enjoy the course together at their own pace on  shortened (but still massively action-packed) 1.5 mile lap. This will include most of the same obstacles as the 4 mile loop but will not have the lake swim, big water jump or underground tunnels; more accessible and family-friendly obstacle options will be presented at some locations on the course, too. This option is suitable for all children 6 and up; with a special price offered for groups of 4 (minimum of 1 adult, but any combo is fine – e.g. 2 kids, 2 adults; 1 adult, 3 kids; 3 adults,1 kid, etc).

Those who want to do the full lap (4 miles) or 3 laps (8 miles) can do; those who want to do multiple laps and work towards our special Dirty Weekend Challenge medal can do so too (more on that below). As with all Rat Race events, everything is un-timed and this is not a race. We celebrate finish lines not finish times.

Woman climbing up a wooden ladder as part of an obstacle course in a forest

SPEND THE DAY AND DO MORE

Introducing Forest Facility adventure centre...

For those who wish to make a day of it, Forest Facility will be operating its fantastic array of adventure activities. Choose from loads of family fun, such as zip wires, axe throwing, archery, laser tag, mini tanks, family treasure hunt and more. Forest Facility will be operating a schedule of bookable activities on the day and you can book all activities direct on the website, HERE

Dense mountainous jungle with grey sky above

WHY ARE WE DOING IT?

The reason we are doing all of this is both to have a great time in the woods on these amazing obstacles with a quirky nostalgic nod back towards the Dirty Weekend of old; and to raise some funds towards the purchase and protection of a totally different forest, several thousand miles away.

This is a special edition event, hosted in partneship with Forest Facility and using the power of 1 forest here in the UK to help us purchase and protect a strategically important tract of another forest, in central America. You can read all about our Project: Jungle HERE and proceeds from Dirty Day go towards this project. So far, we have raised over 100k GBP towards this lofty goal and this event will bring us closer to our target of buying our target plot in 2026.

FAQs

Can I take part with my family?

Yes you can. 

The family wave will be separate from the adult waves and will enable families to enjoy the course together at their own pace on  shortened (but still massively action-packed) 1.5 mile lap. This will include most of the same obstacles as the 4 mile loop but will not have the lake swim, big water jump or underground tunnels; more accessible and family-friendly obstacle options will be presented at some locations on the course, too. This option is suitable for all children 6 and up; with a special price offered for groups of 4 (minimum of 1 adult, but any combo is fine – e.g. 2 kids, 2 adults; 1 adult, 3 kids; 3 adults,1 kid, etc).

Those who want to do the full lap (4 miles) or 3 laps (8 miles) can do; those who want to do multiple laps and work towards our special Dirty Weekend Challenge medal can do so too (more on that below). As with all Rat Race events, everything is un-timed and this is not a race. We celebrate finish lines not finish times.

 

Does everyone set off together?

No, this is a waved starting format and you may select your wave start time when you enter (subject to availability). The family wave will start separately from all other waves, too.

Is this the same as the standard Forest Facility obstacle course?

It will be most of the existing Forest Facility course plus some special guest appearances from some of the old Dirty Weekend classics that we are re-instating for 1 day only. This includes the famous big water jump, an exciting lake swim (with buoyancy aids and safety paddlers on hand), plus the underground tunnels. In all there are around 60 obstacles. We are also significantly extending the “standard” Forest Facility loop to a 4 mile (approx 7km) distance; so this is very much a one-off Dirty Day course.

There will be a shortened course for families with smaller children and this family course will not feature those enhanced water jump, lake swim and underground tunnel features as these are not suitable for smaller children. 

This looks a bit different to a lot of your other events and trips; is this also a Rat Race event?

Yes, this is a Rat Race event produced to the same exacting standard. However, this is a special-edition affair, produced in partnership with our sister operation, Forest Facility Adventure Centre ). It is in part a nostalgic nod back towards our classic old Dirty Weekend event and we are doing this event squarely with our Project Jungle work in mind: Proceeds from Dirty Day will go towards our initiative to buy and protect a strategically important tract of rainforest in Central America. You can read all about Project Jungle, here. 

Will you have medical cover?

Yes we will engage a professional medial team with paramedics, doctors and dedicated blue-light Ambulance on hand.

I have not heard of Forest Facility, what is it?

An outstanding small-group adventure centre, nestled in the glorious woodland of the Burghley estate. For those who wish to make a day of it, Forest Facility will be operating its fantastic array of adventure activities alongside Dirty Day. Choose from loads of family fun, such as zip wires, axe throwing, archery, laser tag, mini tanks, family treasure hunt and more. Forest Facility will be operating a schedule of bookable activities on the day and you can book all activities direct on the website, here.

Where is it being held?

The event will be held at Forest Facility, near Stamford. Exact aerial details will be given in your ‘Essential Event Info’ document, which will be sent around 1 month prior to the event.

Is there parking on site?

Yes there is. It is all on flat fields or on gravel areas and all parking is within walking distance of the start and finish area. Vehicles are priced at 5 GBP per car.

What gear or clothing do I need to take part?

Nothing flash. Shorts, top (recommended long-sleeved), off-road trainers if you have them, although road shoes will do, too. If it is rainy, you may want to bring a lightweight rain jacket. Gloves are optional although recommended to help a little bit on some of the obstacles. A full kit list will be itemized to you in the Essential Info document that all participants will receive around 1 month before the event. The parking area is close to the start/ finish area so you can leave extra layers in your car depending on conditions on the day. We recommend having a towel and/ or a change of clothes in the car as you may get wet and muddy!

What gear or clothing do I need to take part?

Nothing flash. Shorts, top (recommended long-sleeved), off-road trainers if you have them, although road shoes will do, too. If it is rainy, you may want to bring a lightweight rain jacket. Gloves are optional although recommended to help a little bit on some of the obstacles. A full kit list will be itemized to you in the Essential Info document that all participants will receive around 1 month before the event. The parking area is close to the start/ finish area so you can leave extra layers in your car depending on conditions on the day. We recommend having a towel and/ or a change of clothes in the car as you may get wet and muddy!

Can I do other Forest Facility activities while I am there?

yes absolutely. Forest Facility is jam-packed full of awesome activities that will be operating along the action on Dirty Day. Please check it out and book activities here.

Will you have catering available?

Yes we will have a quality local food truck on site, plus hot drinks and (if it’s sunny!) maybe some ice creams.

Will there be toilets on site?

Yes we will have our standard Forest Facility composting loos, plus extra portable toilets brought in for the event.

Are there changing facilities on site?

Whilst there are some small changing rooms on site at Forest Facility, we would recommend getting changed at your car, which will be parked close to the start/ finish area.

Is there a bag drop or valuables drop?

We will have a valuables drop to leave car keys and phones only. We will not operate a bag drop, however the parking area is close to the start/ finish so you may leave items in your car.

Pricing

PAY MONTHLY INTEREST FREE!
ENTER NOW AND SPREAD THE COST INTEREST FREE WITH OUR INSTALMENT PLAN

We’ve created a flexible, interest-free* instalment plan so you can choose how many months to spread the cost of your adventure. Choose to pay in full or in equal monthly instalments up to 3 months before your event date.

​* Once you sign up, Rat Race will set up a recurring monthly payment via Stripe. If a payment fails, you’ll receive reminders from Stripe and our team. After three failed contact attempts and no payment, your entry will be cancelled with no refund or transfer eligibility.

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Interest Free!

/ Month

Pay in Full

DW challenger (5 lap)

£145

FAMILY LAP (3KM 30 OBSTACLES)

£30pp

Adult & teen 1 lap

£65

Adult 2 laps

£95

/ Total Payment