JOIN US FOR THE LAST EVER
MIGHTY DEERSTALKER
Our longest standing event is hanging up it's headtorch for it's well earned retirement after 15 years. Deep in the Scottish Borders this legendary mountain adventure is coming back for one night only. As the sun goes down, the fun begins. Don your finest tweed and get ready for a leg-destroying romp in the hills before crossing the finishline and hitting the infamous Beerstalker afterparty.
DISTANCE:
5/10/20 MILES ON FOOT
LOCATION:
INNERLEITHEN
DURATION:
1 DAY
DIFFICULTY RATING: CAN I DO THIS?
This adventure is for anyone from 5km beginners to experienced trail runners
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
GUIDES AND SUPPORT
Fully waymarked route with water stations
MEMENTOS
High quality eco wooden medal and Rat Rag
SAFETY
Professional 4x4 support vehicles, safety staff, mountain safety, medical and welfare. Audited and accredited to BS8848 expedition safety standard.
RAISE £500 AND GET UP TO £200 REFUNDED
SET UP YOUR JUST GIVING PAGE HERE OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CHARITY PARTNERSHIP HERE
MORE INFORMATION:
Our winter trail running adventure starts as the lights go out! Against the stunning backdrop of Traquair House our classic night time route unfolds, taking you up into the hills and to the infamous scree scramble. As you wind your way back to our event village get ready to dance the night away at the original Rat Race afterparty: The Beerstalker.
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The date-range is set and the route is tried and tested. However, our challenges unfold in some of the most spectacular places on Earth. Sometimes we do have to change plans on account of weather or other unforeseen factors. If we do have to do so, you will be informed and usually, these unforeseen changes simply add to the flavour of proceedings and provide for a good story to tell at day’s end! That having been said, our route is likely to remain largely intact, regardless of any on-the-ground changes.
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Click ‘Buy Event Voucher’ and go through the sign-up process, you’ll then be issued with an event voucher which will automatically reserve you a place in the event you have chosen.
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Rat Race require you to be over 18 on the day of Registration for this adventure. If you wish to participate as a family group or with a responsible adult and you are 16+, we will consider applications on an individual basis. Please contact us if this is the case.
Getting to the start line is important and we are there to help you as best we can. However, if you feel on reflection that it is just not your time yet, we do have a transfer system that you can use to transfer out, receive Rat Race credit and come back again next year or do something else. Credit is typically valid for 12 months and there is a fee to be paid for transferring out in this way. We want to be really clear that this option is there for you if you need it, but it does have a deadline. View our full terms and conditions here.
The latest kit list will be sent to you before the event within the Essential Event Information Document.
Of course. If you run for Children with Cancer UK and raise the target amount for this event per person, we will refund your entry fee up to the amount of £2500. You are of course more than welcome to fundraise for any cause close to your heart.
Yes, you can. We welcome support on almost all of our events and if you do decide you want to come and work with us, we will make sure we look after you. Click here to find out more about volunteering for Rat Race.
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We’ve put together a fantastic new instalment plan that allows you to choose how many months you want to spread the cost of this brilliant adventure over. You can pay it off all in one go or spread it over as many months as you like, totally interest free. There is no credit check required to use this facility. When you sign up to the instalment plan Rat Race will then set up a reoccurring payment and your card will be debited on the same date each month. If there is an error with your payment you will receive reminders from Stripe, our payment provider, and also the Rat Race customer service team. After 3 attempts to contact you if the outstanding balance remains unpaid we will assume you wish to cancel your entry and will withdraw you from the event and you will not be eligible to enter our transfer process and no monies will be refunded.
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Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team.
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To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions.
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To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
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By entering this event you agreed that you have entered in your own name (not nickname) and will bring photographic ID to event registration to prove your identity. If you cannot prove your identity at that time then you won’t be able to complete registration and therefore won’t be able to take part.
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No. Dogs will not be allowed to accompany runners. While many of us love dogs some runners and crew do not, and they complicate the event management. This event is not suitable for dogs for several reasons and would complicate the event support processes including medical rescue, our sweeper logistics, our pledges to farmers with livestock, hygiene where we are serving food, areas that are busy with traffic.
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Deerstalker this year will take place in the depths of winter which means everyone will be running in darkness regardless of their wave time. Night time running is exhilarating and can be very exciting when you're whizzing down the trails, but it does mean you have to concentrate more and watch your footing. A good headtorch is essential and you cannot take part with out one. We suggest you get some training runs in with yours to make sure it's comfy and if you can get out on some trails to test it out even better.
Our Half Stalker is the perfect run for beginners who can run 5km, our 5 mile route is half of the Full Stalker route and doesn't feature the scree scramble but plenty of downhill action and river wades! The Full Stalker is our classic 10 mile whopper and the Double is 2 laps of that, only to be attempted by the very brave or the very foolish looking for the ultimate challenge!
Good question. You need to be ready to do the miles you've signed up for in the dark. That means sturdy off-road footwear, warm running kit, thinking about gloves and headwear too and essentially, a headtorch. The basic principle here is to dress comfortably, in gear that you know and trust. Spend some time training in the cold and try some combinations. We encourage fancy dress but please be well kitted out underneath your costume.
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The Beerstalker afterparty is equally notorious as the epic Deerstalker route. Our marquee is pitched in the grounds of Traquair House and we stock it to the rafter with local ale, cider, prosecco, wine and the odd gin in a tin! With live music and a late license we know how to throw an afterparty in style. ​
For minimal walking and minimal effort you can buy yourself a camping pass and pitch your tent in our neighbouring field, alternatively the town of Innerleithen has many accommodation options.
Registration is in our event village at Traquair House, this is open from 2pm for Double Deerstalkers and 3pm for all other runners.
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Rat Race’s ethos has always been about inspiring folk to undertake challenges in awesome outdoor locations. Deerstalker is not formal race environments and there are no winners and losers and we do not award prizes for the fastest folk. We think of them as races with a small ‘r’. We use chip timing to record times and we publish these times alphabetical order for your information and comparison as we know everyone does their best and many want to see how their efforts compared to others. Rat Race totally appreciate the incredible commitment of those taking on the challenges we lay down and each participant is as important as the next regardless of how fast you can run.
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In delivering these unique challenges we prioritise factors such as safety, camaraderie and environmental concerns. Respecting the wishes of landowners and environmental stakeholders with our route management and litter policies is vital in being able to bring folk together and have this common experience. In terms of safety we are often operating routings in exposed and remote locations and putting in place challenges that require attention to be given to the directing staff instructions, with completion not compulsory if a participant is not confident.
To reasonably balance all these factors, we emphasise that the event is not a formal race environment, rather it a challenge in the great outdoors where great folk come together with a common purpose. Caring for fellow competitors, litter control, closing gates and taking care on road crossings are what the event is about, rather than being the fastest around the course.
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Deerstalker has a distance for everyone. If you've recently done couch to 5km or you are a regular park runner the Half Stalker is the perfect next step trail adventure. Our Full Stalker is for those who can comfortably run 10km and the Double is for...well nutters to be honest!
5, 10 or 20 miles depending on your choice. You should be prepared for technical trails and river crossings in cold water, net assisted descents and hand to ground scrambles.
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Double Stalkers are a unique bunch, you have to be to consider 2 laps of Deerstalker as a fun night out! Each Double Stalker receives a special medal, silicone wristband, t-shirt and Rat Rag. They also have a small Pit Stop before their second lap which has hot tea and some snacks to give you a boost before your second lap.
PAY IN INSTALMENTS
N/A
/ MONTH
SIGN UP TODAY
INTEREST FREE!
SOLO ENTRY
£135
/ TOTAL PER PERSON
SIGN UP TODAY
TEAM OF 5-9
SAVE £5
TEAM 10+ ENTRY
SAVE £10
A booking fee of 5.99% will be added to all payments. Discounts for pairs and teams are per person.
PAY MONTHLY INTEREST FREE!
ENTER NOW AND SPREAD THE COST INTEREST FREE WITH OUR INSTALMENT PLAN
We’ve put together a fantastic new instalment plan that allows you to choose how many months you want to spread the cost of this brilliant adventure over. You can pay it off all in one go or spread it over as many months as you like, totally interest free*. The payments will be split equally allowing you to budget and plan for this stunning journey. All payments to be made before June, the year of the event.
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*When you sign up to the instalment plan Rat Race will then set up a reoccurring payment and your card will be debited on the same date each month. If there is an error with your payment you will receive reminders from Stripe, our payment provider, and also the Rat Race customer service team. After 3 attempts to contact you if the outstanding balance remains unpaid we will assume you wish to cancel your entry and will withdraw you from the event and you will not be eligible to enter our transfer process and no monies will be refunded.
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Please see here for full terms and conditions and our cancellation policy.
PROTECT YOUR NON-REFUNDABLE BOOKING WITH REFUND PROTECT
Add Refund Protect to your booking during purchase and receive a full refund of your entry fee if you are unable to attend the event due to a qualifying unforeseen circumstance. PLEASE NOTE this protection is with our 3rd party partner Refund Protect and NOT Rat Race. In the event you make a refund application this is administered by the Refund Protect customer service team, Rat Race are not privy to the application and cannot intervene on your behalf to influence the outcome determined by their team.
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To check the full list of qualifying unforeseen circumstances that are protected please click here to view Refund Protect terms and conditions.
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To add Refund Protect (administered by a 3rd party) to your Rat Race booking simply select this option when presented during the entry process. Refund Protect cannot be added retrospectively. Rat Race will then send you name and booking details to Refund Protect in order to protect your transaction with them. If you opt to pay in instalments and transfer your entry before the entry cost is full paid you will be liable to ensure the cost of Refund Protect has been fully covered. This total amount will be deducted from any Rat Race credit due through the transfer process or you will be invoiced by Rat Race for the outstanding amount as Rat Race have paid this on your behalf to Refund Protect at point of entry.
RAISE £250 AND RECEIVE A RAT RACE DUFFEL BAG WORTH £60 OR RAISE AT LEAST £500 (EXCLUDING GIFT AID) FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK AND GET A REFUND OF YOUR ENTRY FEE ONLY (UP TO £200).*
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Our longstanding partnership with Children with Cancer UK gives #ratracers the opportunity to raise much needed funds for this great cause in exchange for a refund of their entry fee. So far our #ratracers have raised over £2million for Children with Cancer UK and we would love for you to join the team to help us chase down that £3million target!
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The funds you raise will be invested into vital specialist research to improve survival rates in children and young people and help more of them ring the end of treatment bell.
All you need to do is set up a Just Giving page here and start your fundraising! You will have until 1 month after the event date to hit your target and then send us the link to your page which will allow us to process your refund. Refunds will be made 2 – 3 months after the event completion date.
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Refunds are not mandatory you are welcome to opt-out of receiving a refund. Should participants opt-out their refund will instead be used by Children with Cancer UK to help fund their research.
If you choose to support Children with Cancer UK and raise at least £250, you will also receive:
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A Children with Cancer UK fundraising and training pack
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Regular Children with Cancer UK updates
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A dedicated point of contact at the charity
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A technical Children with Cancer UK t-shirt to wear with pride
For more information on Children with Cancer UK please visit www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
Alternatively please contact the Sports Team on 020 7430 7788 or email sports@childrenwithcancer.org.uk.
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Children with Cancer UK is a registered national charity (no. 298405)
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*Eligible fundraisers will receive one fundraising incentive only. Participants raising £250 – £499 will receive the Rat Race duffel bag. Those who manage to raise £500 or more will receive a refund of their entry fee only.
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