Entry includes:
Multiple checkpoints
Cold drinks and a selection of sweet/savoury food at all checkpoints
Hot drinks and a meal at the finish
Certificate for all finishers
Next event TBA
- we will be trialling the use of tracker devices to help us better manage the event.
- the tracker device issued to each participant/team will enable supporters to monitor participants’ progress in real time.
Walk or run, solo or in a relay around the 40 mile countryside route starting and finishing at the Heart of England Social Club in Meriden.
Walk for fun or charity and enjoy the atmosphere of “A Coventry Way Challenge”.
Food and drinks at 5 checkpoints.
Food and drink at the finish for all participants and helpers.
Starts and finishes at the Heart of England Social Club in Meriden.
A Coventry Way Challenge is open to anyone aged 18 or over on the day of the event.
A younger entrant must be either a member of the LDWA or, if not a member, accompanied at all times by a parent or legal guardian.
An under 16 must be accompanied at all times by an adult.
Challenge history
The first “challenge” was staged as a charity event on 15 October 1997 starting at The Queen’s Head in Meriden. It was organised by John Green’s “Justice on Legs” committee and it raised significant amount for Macmillan Nurses and Coventry Crossroads.
The week-end before, John Green, supported by family and friends walked the route over two days.
Basil Heatley, Silver Medallist in the Marathon at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics attended the event and took part in the celebrations.
Simon Harper and Ian Davies completed the course and set a new record of 7 hours 23 minutes.
The Octavian Droobers relay team set a target of 5 hours 40 minutes for future challengers.
The now famous and sought after green shirts were first produced by Ian Davies.
You’ll find the results of that challenge as well as most others since on our results pages.
Challenger voices
Some comments from our previous events …
I’d like to say a big thank you for all your organisation and the many volunteers who helped on the day.
Many thanks to everybody involved for yet another well organised CovWay. Why don’t they get any easier with experience ??!! – that was probably my hardest ‘Way. I was a little disappointed with my time. I had predicted 13 hours and it took me 13:05 – Oh well. Mark seems to make it look easier each time – don’t know how he does it. Everybody at the control points and feeding stations were so welcoming and friendly with a good range of food and drink on offer – although a distinct lack of Jelly Babies! 2023? – my feet are currently screaming NO – but time is a great healer.
A great day; a bit cold at the start. It was really good to be out on the ground again.
Thank you so much for an awesome day! The checkpoints were great, thank you so much to everyone that put their time into manning them – and to the people that wrote the route description, checked and rechecked the route and clipped any dangly branches out of the way and everything else that goes into organising this event!!
I just wanted to say thanks for organising a great event on a lovely route.
Just wanted to thank you for such a fantastic event on Sunday. I have never run/walked that far before, so I was quite nervous. I felt very much at ease from all the support from the volunteers and teams at the checkpoints. Very well organised and the checkpoints had a brilliant selection of food and snacks to keep us going. I will be back next year!
Just wanted to say thank you to you and the team for yesterday’s Coventry Way event. It was a well organised event and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Please pass on my thanks to all the volunteers and helpers for giving up their time to help make the event a success. Hope to see you again next year!
… and the experiences of some who completed the Challenge in the early years.
