My wife reckons I look much better in the dark, writes runABC South news reporter Alan Newman, but very few landscapes are improved as darkness falls. The night sky may have been part of the physical and mental challenge and the essence of Wild Running's Wild Night Run Series, now in its 12th year, but feedback from Dark Skies Surrey Hills runners has been heard.

Comments after the latest foray into the gloom, illuminated by head torches and reflective course marker arrows, included several references to how wonderful the course at Denbies Wine Estate was and what it might look like in the daylight – and so an idea took seed, Bright Skies Surrey Hills was conceived and will see the light of day on Sunday 23rd July 2023.

The most recent visit to the deepest, darkest Surrey Hills AONB was on Saturday 28th January 2023 when 300 runners disappeared into the twilight in testing trail races at 10 miles, 10K, and 5K, plus Kids races at 1K or 2K for children aged 3-7 and 8-12 years respectively.

To give you an idea of the roller coaster nature of the course the winning times in the 10-miler were 1:07:55 by Joe Dale and 1:16:53 by Lizzie Broughton, although Claire Spencer did run 1:15:19 in the CaniX section in this dog-friendly event. Full results and previous event reports can be viewed at runABC Race Listing here.

The switch to daytime for the summer edition has enabled the addition of a half marathon to the six-race programme for Bright Skies Surrey Hills. Entries are selling fast at fees that range from £32 for the full-fat 13.1-miler to £8 for the kid's races. CaniX competitors are welcomed in the 10K and 5K races at no extra cost.

The race day itinerary at England's largest vineyard, with 265 acres under vines, starts with registration in the event marquee from 8:00am. The kid's races are off at 9:00am and the 5K and half marathon gets underway at 10:00am. At 10:20am it's the turn of the 10-milers to head for the hills and 10:45am is the 10K start time.

Visit Wild Running's Bright Skies Surrey Hills website here to view the course maps.

We did ask Race Director Ceri Rees for a comment but he was off grid somewhere on Dartmoor on a barefoot expedition for a fantastic cause – the Dartmoor Preservation Association. You can read about Ceri's latest (mis)adventures on his blog and contribute to his appeal against a ban on backpackers camping on Dartmoor on his Just Giving page here.

By the way, those are actually Rees' trotters above, pictured during his Dartmoor traverse.

We recommend trail shoes for Bright Skies Surrey Hills! 

Photo courtesy Ceri Rees, Wild Running