Unique running event at south Essex test track is set to return

The Test Track Ten Races, organised by St. Luke's Hospice with Ford Britain Trust, will take place at Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Laindon on Saturday 16 May and will feature 10‑mile, 10km and a 2.5km fun run.

The Test Track Ten Races are scheduled to return in spring and will be held on Saturday 16 May within the grounds of the Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Laindon. The event is run by St. Luke's Hospice in partnership with Ford Britain Trust and was first launched in 2011. It has grown into the hospice's flagship sporting fundraiser and is noted for offering exclusive access to the Ford test track. Runners, walkers, families and wheelchair users are invited to take part across several distances. Key details: - Date and location: Saturday 16 May at Ford Dunton Technical Centre, Laindon. - Distances: accredited and timed 10‑mile and 10km races, plus a 2.5km Fun Run open to anyone aged five and over. - Inclusivity: the races are open to runners, walkers, wheelchair users and novice joggers; courses suit all wheelchair types and IPC‑approved racing chairs or Race Runners are recommended. - New feature: a fancy dress category with trophies for the first male and female finishers in costume in both the 10‑mile and 10km races. - Accreditation and registration: the event is UKA‑licensed, pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative St. Luke's Hospice medal, and online registration is open. Summary: The event is positioned as a community fundraiser that brings together people of different ages and abilities while offering access to a track not normally open to the public. It remains the hospice's main sporting fundraiser and is scheduled for 16 May, with registration open in advance.