The Course

OK so what happens? Well, you enter the event online here and we provide you with some pre-event info by email around 4 weeks before the event. When you pitch up on the day, you register at our Registration Tent at the Riverside Park and then you line up to starts from 11am, with the course taking about 50-150 minutes depending on your chosen pace.

Everyone will complete the same route, along both banks of the River Tees and accessing iconic structures en-route. The route connects Stockton-on-Tees town centre, the Tees Barrage and downstream to the Newport Bridge.

Along this route, which you can run or jog and which is fully way-marked, there are a number of activities to complete. It is a race, but hey, who’s counting – just getting round this course is all that’s needed to make you a River Rat.

The activities range from walking the plank into the river at Captain Cook’s replica ship; HM Bark Endeavour (and jumping off into the river!), short episodes of kayaking and wet dunkings, to scaling the mighty Newport Bridge via an exciting ladder climb. None of these activities require special skill, but all of them are pretty exciting! An overview of the 2011 route can be seen above (This is subject to change, and we’ll update this map as we make progress on all exciting activities). Tthe event base will be at the Riverside Park near Stockton-on-Tees town centre.

There is no time limit to complete the route and when you are finished, you will be able to change into some dry clothes and enjoy some of the event centre activities with your family, and refuel with hot food and drink.

What do I need?

You need a sense of adventure, a head for heights, a love of water and just enough fitness to get around the 10+km course and complete the activities - in some clothes that you don’t mind getting wet and muddy.

You’ll be in and out of the water, so quick-drying sports clothing is recommended and definitely not long trousers or thick tops, which will get heavy when wet. You should also wear footwear that will be suitable for use on and off road and that you don’t mind getting a bit wet and muddy too.

You DON’T need any specialist kit and the event will provide buoyancy aids, kayaks, paddles, helmets and climbing harnesses where required within the route.

You will need to be aged over 16 on the day, and if 16-17 you will need parental or guardian consent signed on the day.