Forty Years Of Chasing Puddings In Cheddleton
Cheddleton 10K returns on 28 November with three challenging laps, a remarkable course record and a Christmas pudding for every finisher...
This relates to: Cheddleton 10K
Some records are made to be broken. Others seem determined to survive for decades. At the Cheddleton 10K, Clifton Bradeley's remarkable 30:42 from 1987 remains the time to beat, with a gold sovereign waiting for anyone who can finally better it.
The Staffordshire Moorlands race returns on Saturday 28 November, continuing a Christmas running tradition that stretches back more than four decades. Organised by Stan Winterton and the local committee in aid of Cancer Research, the event has become a favourite among North Staffordshire club runners. It also provides the final race in the 2026 North Staffordshire Road Runners Association league programme, giving competitors one last opportunity to collect valuable points.
The course certainly doesn't make record breaking easy. Runners complete three undulating laps around the rural lanes of Cheddleton, with the traffic free route providing plenty of climbing and opportunities for spectators to offer encouragement. Matt Clowes came tantalisingly close to the men's record in 2018, clocking 30:51, just nine seconds outside a mark that had already stood for more than 30 years. The women's record of 35:57 also remains a target, with £150 offered for a new best.
But Cheddleton has always been about more than fast times. The afternoon begins with a 2 mile Fun Run at 1:40pm before the 10K gets underway at 2:00pm. There are extensive prizes for leading runners and age categories, while everyone completing either event receives a Christmas pudding.
Entries remain open for this year's race, giving runners another opportunity to tackle the hills, support cancer research and take home something rather more substantial than the usual finisher's medal.
