Some races do not need gimmicks. Give runners ten miles of quiet country lanes, a few testing hills and plenty of competition and they will keep coming back. Flying Fox 10 has been proving that point for years.

Stone Master Marathoners brings the established Staffordshire race back to Standon on Sunday 1 November, with a 10:30am start from All Saints First School.

From there, runners head into the rolling countryside surrounding the village, with the route taking in quiet lanes around Chapel Chorlton and Maer. It is an undulating course rather than a straightforward PB hunt, making judgement of effort particularly important over the ten mile distance.

Its place in North Staffordshire road running is a big part of the Flying Fox story. The race has been a longstanding fixture in the North Staffordshire Road Runners Association programme and is Race 19 of 20 in the 2026 series.

That puts it at the business end of a season that began back in February. Flying Fox is also one of only four races selected by NSRRA for its Group Winner Awards this year, adding another competitive ingredient for runners chasing positions within the association's ability groups.

History shows how important the race can become. In 2018, Flying Fox provided the final contest of the NSRRA programme, with performances at Standon helping decide the men's and women's championship titles. The race was already well established by then, with results stretching back considerably further.

But it is not reserved for the sharp end of the field. Organisers describe an inclusive event attracting first timers and recreational runners alongside NSRRA regulars and some of Staffordshire's strongest club competitors.

That mix clearly works. The 2025 race sold out, prompting organisers to encourage earlier booking this time.

On 1 November there will be no shortage of newer events competing for runners' attention. Flying Fox offers something more traditional: a village race HQ, ten challenging miles and a Sunday morning on the Staffordshire lanes.

You can enter via the runABC race hub here.

Image courtesy Stone Master Marathoners.