Grove Cottage's Festive Fun Run is Sunday 29 November at Sworders Field: 5K or 1K at 11am, adults £14, children £7, antlers included. Times and booking.
Yes, Bishop’s Stortford’s Christmas fun run is on this year: Grove Cottage’s Festive Fun Run is on Sunday 29 November 2026 at the Bandstand in Sworders Field, CM23 2AY. Both the 5K and the 1K start at 11am, and tickets are on sale now on the charity’s box office (Grove Cottage on Ticket Tailor). The town council lists the same date and prices (Bishop’s Stortford Town Council).
The quick answer
- When: Sunday 29 November 2026. Registration opens 10am, warm-up 10.45am, both runs start 11am. The event is listed until 1pm.
- Where: start and finish at the Bandstand, Sworders Field, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 2AY.
- Distances: 5K or 1K. Run, jog, wheel or walk.
- Price: adults (13 and over) £14, children (12 and under) £7. Reindeer antlers are included.
- Booking: online, on Grove Cottage’s Ticket Tailor page.
- If the weather stops it: the 2024 run was cancelled for a bad forecast, and the charity’s terms say tickets are not refunded if bad weather cancels it; the money is treated as a donation unless you contact Grove Cottage.
What happens on the day
Grove Cottage calls it “our annual family festive fun run”. The charity’s own Elf starts the runs, and it asks people to “get as festive as you like with your attire”. Everyone is welcome, “whether you’re a seasoned runner, a casual jogger, a walker, or a little dasher”. All the money raised goes to Grove Cottage, the Bishop’s Stortford charity that has supported people with learning disabilities for more than 57 years (Grove Cottage on Ticket Tailor).
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 29 November |
| Registration | 10am |
| Warm-up | 10.45am |
| Start, 5K and 1K | 11am |
| Start and finish | The Bandstand, Sworders Field, CM23 2AY |
| Adults, 13 and over | £14 |
| Children, 12 and under | £7 |
| Included | Reindeer antlers |
The small print
From the terms on the ticket page:
- You take part at your own risk and agree that you, and anyone you are responsible for, are fit to take part.
- The charity can cancel, postpone or change the event. If it is called off for reasons outside its control, “for example, inclement weather”, the ticket money is not refunded and is treated as a donation, unless you contact Grove Cottage directly to ask for a refund.
- Photographs and video will be taken. To opt out, email fundraising@mencapgrovecottage.org.
- Follow the marshals and the route signs.
Parking and getting there
Grove Cottage does not run its own parking. It points runners to the district council’s car parks in the town centre. Tariffs and the nearest car parks are on our parking page, and anything closing that weekend will be on the roadworks and travel page.
The dates it has run
Grove Cottage’s own pages show the run moving around late November and early December:
| Year | Date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sunday 3 December | Run as the Reindeer Run; around 100 took part, and the Mayor helped award the prizes (Grove Cottage) |
| 2024 | Sunday 24 November | Cancelled “due to bad weather predicted on Sunday” (Grove Cottage on Ticket Tailor) |
| 2025 | Sunday 30 November | From the Bandstand, Sworders Field, 5K or 1K (Grove Cottage) |
| 2026 | Sunday 29 November | On sale, same venue and prices as 2025 |
More Christmas in Bishop’s Stortford
- Christmas lights: switched on at the BID’s Festive Fun Day on Sunday 15 November; the town council’s Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 5 December. See our Christmas lights and Fayre page.
- Panto: Beauty and the Beast at South Mill Arts from 26 November; see our panto page.
- Santa: the grotto page and the Round Table’s Santa sleigh.
- Every listing this month: What’s On in Bishop’s Stortford.
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